Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 2026)

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

18602 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 466 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 8) 17

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

From This Moment On

June

Sat 13: Ladies of Midnight Blue + Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Northumberland Miners’ Picnic, Woodhorn Museum, Ashington NE63 9YF. Free. From 10:00am. Ladies of Midnight Blue (3:00-3:45pm); Northern Monkey Brass Band (4:00-4:45pm).
Sat 13: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 13: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Saltburn Bandstand. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sat 13: Courtney Pine @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £35.80. Pine (saxophones); Robert Mitchell (piano); Rio Kai (double bass); Romarna Campbell (drums). ‘A Modern-Day Jazz Story 1986 - 2026’.

Sun 14: Front Porch Band: Swing Tyne’s Swing Social @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations (£5.00. - £10.00. suggested). Swing dance event w. taster class (12:30pm).
Sun 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 14: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Doctor Jazz @ The Old Church, Sacriston, Durham. 3:00-5:00pm . Free (donations welcome). New Orleans, blues & classic 20th century songs. Food & soft drinks available, BYOB.
Sun 14: Eddie Gripper Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.

Mon 15: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 15: Dan Johnson w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 16: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 16: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 18: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 19: Joe Steels Group @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £14.33., £11.16., £8.00.
Fri 19: Martin Litton @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 (inc. bf); £6.50 (inc. bf); £15.00 on the door. Solo piano. CANCELLED!
Fri 19: Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Joe Webb support set.
Fri 19: Hot Club du Nord @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Jive Aces: The Roots of Rock & Roll @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

A Many Splendored Thing - The Alan Glen Trio & Take It To The Bridge @ The Chilli.

Alan Glen (pno), John Pope (bs), David Carnegie (dms).
-----
Dave Weisser (tpt), Doug Fielder (ten), Chris Finch (pno), Barrie Ascroft (bs.gtr), Malcolm Dick (dms).
+ Dan Reed (dms), David Carnegie (pno).
----------
I wish the Alan Glen Trio had played Too Marvelous for Words tonight - it would have summed up their entire performance - they were, as always, just too very very etc. As it was we had...
Love is a Many Splendored Thing: taken up-tempo it got things going 'splendidly' reminding us of how much better it sounds away from the doleful dirge the balladeers favour.
My Old Flame: now that's what you call a ballad - so poignant...
Brubeck's In Your Own Sweet Way: a pre-curser to tomorrow's concert at Gateshead Old Town Hall, Liam Noble's the Brubeck Project. Great tune and great player - Alan Glen.
More Brubeckiana, this time from Dave Digs Disney - Alice in Wonderland - a swingy jazz waltz.
Its You or No One: Moved along nicely with lots of tingling melodic flurries taking in the whole keyboard.
I Can't Get Started: gorgeous harmonies as Alan explored the seemingly endless possibilities of Vernon Duke's classic.
Just in Time: The inevitable big blast finale with David Carnegie as usual soloing to great effect.
Great set with especial mention of John Pope's bass-playing - The Pope has incorporated all the essential elements of the bass players armoury including humour and a welcome degree of showmanship.
Earlier, the Take It To The Bridge crew with Malcolm Dick on drums, - Eric has left to tend to his many other gigs i.e. Budvivar, Jazz Café, grandpaternal duties etc. - Chris Finch on an unexploding piano (see Big Band Festival report from Russell!) and Barry doing bass guitar whet our appetite for the delights to come.
Dan Reed, a young drummer from Prudhoe, had a blast on Hubbard's (Freddie not Mother) Up Jumped Spring and Wayne's (Shorter not John) Lester Left Town. The boy did good - jazz waltzes (Spring) aren't the easiest numbers to kick off on but he came through head held high - likewise on Lester he dug in and played confidently.
David C sat in on piano for the inevitable Blues (in F) for Duane and sent the room into orbit - nice one David.
Out front Dave W and Doug F added their own distinctive touches to Weaver of Dreams, Masquerade, Whisper Not and others.
Lance.
at

1 comment :

Liz said...

I love Mel Tormé singing "Whisper not"
Liz

Thursday, March 11, 2010 5:52:00 pm

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