Jazz on the Tyne – What’s On, late March 2023

In the latest edition of the podcast, presenter Colin Muirhead will preview gigs featuring the Milne Glendinning Band, Sunna Gunnlaugs, Rebecca Nash, John Pope & John Garner, Archipelago, Jasmine Myra, Helena Kay and Andrew McCormack.  He’ll also showcase new music by Cécile McLorin Salvant and pay tribute to Wayne Shorter.

You can listen to the show anytime from noon on Saturday 18th March by heading to www.mixcloud.com/hive_radio.

Plus, you can request tunes for future programmes by emailing Colin at jazz.tyne.hive@gmail.com or heading to www.jazzonthetyne.org.

Glasshopper and Nathalie Stern @ Bobiks - March 11

(© Ken Drew)

Jazz North East presented Glasshopper at Bobiks last Saturday and photographer Ken Drew kindly sent a couple of collages from the gig.

Glasshopper comprises Jonathan Chung (sax),  James Kitchman (guitar) and  Corrie Dick (drums). The Facebook blurb described the music thus: "This unit of focused players explore melody and improvisation with complete reverence and abandon, intricately weaving together moments of sonic bliss and euphoric rock-outs. Always aspiring to search for fresh interpretations, the bass-less line up blurs the lines between the jazz, folk and rock realms. Seldom settling, always searching".

Paul Hartley Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - March 14

Paul Hartley (guitar); Gair Carson (tenor/alto sax/flutes); Ben Wilshire (bass); Eryl Roberts (drums).

 Paul’s guest tonight was Gair Carson a musician who apart from playing in local big bands, also plays in one of the west coast tribute groups that work around this area. His sound on both tenor and alto reminds me of the kind of saxophone style that was prevalent before Coltrane became such a big influence on the jazz scene. 

Preview: Raible-Gradischnig Quintet @ The Gala Theatre, Durham (Friday 17th)

The Raible-Gradischnig Quintet is dedicated to performing the music of  the American pianist Elmo Hope. Pianist Claus Raible and tenor saxophonist Herwig Gradischnig are on tour with their quintet and the good news is Durham's Gala Theatre is on the itinerary! At one o'clock on Friday, Raible, Gradischnig, Steve Fishwick (trumpet), Giorgos Antoniou (double bass) and drummer Matt Home will be flying the flag for the late, great American musician.

Album review: Chris Potter – Got The Keys To The Kingdom: Live at The Village Vanguard (Edition Records, 2023)

Chris Potter (tenor sax); Craig Taborn (piano); Scott Colley (bass); Marcus Gilmore (drums)

This feels like the one this band had been waiting for. The sense of freedom is almost palpable, as if the fear of a return to lockdown was in the air and the organisation and recording had to be accelerated before we were all ushered back into our hutches.

 

Potter had released an album during lockdown (There Is A Tide) on which he had played every note but with Got The Keys To The Kingdom he was now allowed to go out and play with his friends and, by God, he was going to make the most of it.

Happy Birthday Quincy Jones - 90 today (March 14).

Q has done it all. From Lionel Hampton to Michael Jackson via Basie, Sinatra, Hollywood and 80 Grammy nominations - of which 28 got the nod - he is the man. We wish him well and hope the cake is big enough to take all the candles - long may he continue. Happy Birthday.

Lance

Album review: Planet D Nonet - Blues to be There

(Collective); R.J. Spangler (bandleader, congas); Michael Zaporski (piano); Trevor Lamb (bass); Sean Perimutter (drums); James O'Donnell (vocal trumpet); Charlie Miller (trumpet); Tbone Paxton (trombone, vocal);  Alexis Colista (alto, sop sax); Christopher Tabacrynski (tenor sax, clarinet); Goode Wyche III (bari sax, clarinet); Alex Harding (bari sax); Ryan Bills (tenor sax); Kasan Belgrave (clarinet).

Please someone, send me some duck eggs to review just so I can vent my spleen! 

My spleen remains distinctly unvented by this splendid interpretation of some of Ellington's 1950s' classics. The soloists capture the mood to perfection and they don't fall asleep as some Ellingtonians were prone to do!

Ben Crosland Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - March 12

Ben Crosland (bass guitar); Dean Stockdale (keys); Rod Mason (tenor/sop sax); Dave Tyas (drums).

Once again the information on the March flyer was incorrect  listing this band as a trio when there were four musicians involved. I was pleased to see that Rod Mason was in the lineup as he has not played this venue for a while. He was using tenor sax and a curved soprano for this gig although I noticed he had also brought along an alto but I don’t think it was utilised. Rod likes to play sitting down these days but this does not impede his high energy approach and his solos tonight were well received by the Sunday night audience.

GNBBJF - Sunday 5 (Schools Section)

Sunday morning, bright and early. Following a workshop for a group of young musicians, the second day of competitive big band action began at eleven o'clock. Schools from across the region and one or two from further afield would battle it out to be crowned best band at the 2023 edition of the Great North Big Band Jazz Festival. Later in the day it would be the turn of the youth ensembles. 

Album review: Chet Baker - Blue Room

Chet Baker (trumpet, vocals); Phil Markowitz (piano); Jean-Louis Rassinfosse (bass); Charles Rice (drums). 

Chet Baker (trumpet, vocals); Frans Elsen (piano); Victor Kaihatu (bass); Eric Ineke (drums).

The Jazz Detective continues his investigations searching for previously undiscovered, unreleased gems and, as ever, comes up trumps with this one. Two sessions from April, 1979, by the legendary Chet Baker that have lain gathering dust in the Vara studio's vaults in Hilversum, having originally been broadcast on the Dutch KRO radio programme Nine o'Clock Jazz.