Sunday Jazz to Resume at The Spanish City in September

I’m delighted to announce that the directors of The Spanish City have decided to resume the weekly Sunday afternoon jazz sessions with The Vieux Carré Hot 4 in Valerie’s Tea Room, Trenchers Restaurant and The Champagne Bar commencing 12 noon on Sunday, September 6.. 

Hexham Thursday Sessions #14 : Red Clay

Lunchtime Jazz (18) - Paul Edis Solo

Paul Edis (piano/vocals)

Number 18! No need to go into great detail other than to check out the songs. After 17 previous streams (when does a stream become a river?) we know what to expect. A choice selection of numbers, some originals (none this week!), some standards, all impeccably played with the occasional vocal thrown in - they don't come any better than this!

New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings - Press Release (July 2020)

Launching this October in association with the Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music we are crowdfunding to establish a bespoke, ethically driven record label run by artists in which to present unique international jazz and improvisation.

New ideas and new sounds for a new decade.

Pre-order our first releases, pay it forward and pledge to be part of something new as we put down the foundations for an environmentally-friendly label supporting artist independence, investing in independent music studios and supporting carbon neutral sustainable businesses to manufacture and deliver our products.

Livestream @ Ronnie's: Mark Kavuma - The Banger Factory. July 16

The fourth Livestream from Ronnie's kept the Frith St. venue afloat with the aptly named Banger Factory. I'm unsure where the name came from - certainly not a beat-up old car that was always breaking down, nor an over promiscuous person, which only leaves sausages. If such be the case this was no skinny chipolata but a big fat juicy snorker guaranteed to fill you from here to breakfast time.

All players are in sizzling form. The horns, the rhythm section and the in-betweeners (vibes, guitar) play their part to perfection - all are cooking with gas.

R.I.P Eddie Gale.

Trumpet player Eddie Gale, best known for his work with Sun Ra and Cecil Taylor, passed away on July 10 aged 78.

The obituary below gives an evocative picture of a talented and caring person who succumbed after a long battle with cancer.

Sadly missed. 

Lance

New York Times obituary.

The Virtual, But Remarkably Real, Birmingham, Sandwell & Westside Jazz Festival

(Press release)

Every July since 1985, music lovers from all over the UK, as well as from further afield, have come to Birmingham for 10 straight days of jazz, blues and a whole lot of fun at The Birmingham, Sandwell & Westside Jazz Festival.

With this year’s actual festival postponed until October 16^th to 25^th it just seemed wrong not to celebrate hot jazz in July, just as we have done for an unbroken 35 year run.

Preview: Abbie Finn Trio - LIVE in Newcastle - July 26!

Yes, that's right, the Abbie Finn Trio will be playing a real, proper, genuine LIVE gig a week on Sunday. Drummer Abbie along with Harry Keeble (tenor sax) and lynchpin bassist Paul Grainger will be performing in the garden of St James' and St Basil's Church on Fenham Hall Drive in Newcastle on Sunday July 26.   

International Nelson Mandela Day

(Further to my review of Kenny Washington's soon to be released album What's the Hurry comes this press release re a forthcoming single ...)

(Press release. Photo courtesy of Derek Clark) 

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra releases its first single in its 25-year history on Saturday July 18. The orchestra’s new arrangement of Sam Cooke’s classic Civil Rights anthem, A Change is Gonna Come is being made available as a tribute to Nelson Mandela on what is International Nelson Mandela Day and would have been Mandela’s 102^nd birthday.

Farewell Blues

It's a familiar cry - "What do I do with my collection of CDs/LPs/EPs/45s/78s/tapes/cylinders/piano rolls/fag ends discarded by..."

We all have wall to wall memorabilia whether it be books, magazines or records. We cherish them, we want to see them go to a good home, we want them to be loved as much as we have but, when the day comes for us to say goodbye to them, how do we go about it?