Today was Rosemary Squire's 80th birthday and she celebrated it magnificently in the Pier Pavilion, South Shields. Accompanied by the impeccable Brian Dee on piano and local boy Pete Stuart on bass it was an afternoon of pure magic.
Nostalgic? Of course it was! Yet even after all these years, the voice can still touch you and, although I occasionally held my breath wondering if she was going to make the note she always did.
Highlights included a rather wonderful song, new to me even though it dated back to a 1981 Lauren Bacall musical that ran forever on Broadway and in London - "Woman of the Year". The song was "Sometimes a Day Goes By (when I don't think of you)".
"Nice Work etc.", "Day By Day" (or was it "Day in, Day out"?) and "Imagination" were others that verified her jazz credentials. However, this wasn't a jazz gig despite the brilliance of Brian Dee and Pete Stuart - it was entertainment full stop.
If someone had told me beforehand that I would feel all emotional over an 80 year-old woman reciting Stanley Holloway's "Braan Boots" I'd have laughed - as it was I almost cried!
My only regret is that there weren't more folk present to share the rare experience of possibly one of the entertainment world's best kept secrets .For the past seventeen years we've been updating the world about jazz in the north east of England and updating the north east of England about jazz in the world. WINNER of the Jazz Media Category in the 2018 All Party Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Contact lanceliddle@gmail.com
Total Pageviews
Bebop Spoken There
Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 2025).
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
17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).
From This Moment On ...
April 2025.
Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.
Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Only Six Standards.
Thu 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Sarah Jane Morris & Tony Remy: The Sisterhood @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00.
Sat 19: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 19: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
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
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Rosemary Squires - Afternoon Delight
Today was Rosemary Squire's 80th birthday and she celebrated it magnificently in the Pier Pavilion, South Shields. Accompanied by the impeccable Brian Dee on piano and local boy Pete Stuart on bass it was an afternoon of pure magic.
Nostalgic? Of course it was! Yet even after all these years, the voice can still touch you and, although I occasionally held my breath wondering if she was going to make the note she always did.
Highlights included a rather wonderful song, new to me even though it dated back to a 1981 Lauren Bacall musical that ran forever on Broadway and in London - "Woman of the Year". The song was "Sometimes a Day Goes By (when I don't think of you)".
"Nice Work etc.", "Day By Day" (or was it "Day in, Day out"?) and "Imagination" were others that verified her jazz credentials. However, this wasn't a jazz gig despite the brilliance of Brian Dee and Pete Stuart - it was entertainment full stop.
If someone had told me beforehand that I would feel all emotional over an 80 year-old woman reciting Stanley Holloway's "Braan Boots" I'd have laughed - as it was I almost cried!
My only regret is that there weren't more folk present to share the rare experience of possibly one of the entertainment world's best kept secrets .
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(
Atom
)
Blog Archive
-
▼
2008
(
312
)
-
▼
December
(
41
)
- Nov/Dec 2008 Deaths
- Jazz Esquires at the Porthole
- Courtney Pine - C.B.E.
- Quote
- Freddie Hubbard Dead - age 70. R.I.P.
- A Funny Valentine
- (Good Time) Jazz in the Afternoon at Culler'
- Zoe Gilby and Jim Mullen at Wakefield Jazz Club
- Who is Hilma?
- R.I.P. Eartha - "Santa Baby" Dies on Xmas Day.
- An Elf Warning
- Partying at the Porthole with the Maine Street Jaz...
- Jazz in the Afternoon at Cullercoats
- The Christmas Number One (in Hong Kong)
- Oscar Peterson Trio Live at Ronnie Scott's - BBC 4
- British Dance Band Music - Liz
- Count Basie Live 1965 - BBC4
- The Swing Thing - BBC 4
- More Djangology from John Taylor
- Louis Armstrong Night on BBC 4
- Django Related Bliss by Liz
- Dave O'Higgins with the Noel Dennis Quartet - Repo...
- Liz Gives Her Age Away!
- Kevin McKenzie Quartet - Schmazz at the Cluny
- Ned Kelly Big Band Clip from Colin Aitchison
- A Little Bit of Bebop
- BBC 4
- WJRK Play HUMPH
- Xmas Party at Blaydon
- Jools Holland and his R & B Orchestra - Report by ...
- Alan Glen Trio Raising the Bar at the Chilli
- Hong Kong News - Colin Aitchison
- Rosemary Squires - Afternoon Delight
- Perdido St. Jazzmen
- Michael Parkinson by Liz
- Favourite - Richie Kamuca by Roly Veitch
- Handbagging at the Elephant. Ashington Jazz Club r...
- Boppin' in Byker
- Jackie, Not Ronnie, McLean
- Banjology
- Clem Avery Photo Gallery
-
▼
December
(
41
)
2 comments :
80 and still performing. She certainly is a real trouper, wish I could have been there.
"Now hands that do dishes..."
Dear Lance,
Now I ask yer....eighty....fancy writing a report saying 'eighty'....when everyone else swore...blue and black... you've got to knock ten years off that....'eighty... I ask yer...just look at 'er she can't be that! But Aunt Rosemary won't mind - she does like folk who are good and kind. And you were a sport...a very good report...but 'eighty'...I ask yer!
Yes Lance it reached us down here in the South!
But we are so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for all the nice things you said.
Best regards
Frank Lockyer
(Rosemary's manager and husband!)
Post a Comment