Bebop Spoken There

Dominick "Domo" Branch: ''Most people say drummers can't write, they're just time-keepers only beating on things. But I have a very musical brain.'' (DownBeat February, 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

18288 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 142 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 14), 42

From This Moment On ...

February

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: George Shearing Jazz Moments.

Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Squabble @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:00pm. Steve Chambers (organ); Jude Murphy (double bass, vocals); Sid White (drums).
Fri 20: Jive Aces @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors).
Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

Sat 21: ???

Sun 22: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 22: Joe Steels Group @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Harben Kay Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: Joe Steels Group @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Finn-Keeble Group @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00.
Tue 24: Liam Oliver & Shayo Oshodi @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Chilly at the Chilli - No Heat in Heaton!

The music was cool and the temperature even cooler owing to a reputed malfunction of the central heating system. Hopefully this will be rectified soon as tonight saw the biggest audience in quite a while and it would be unfortunate if frostbite were to prevent them returning.
It was the usual suspects plus Laurie Brown on vibes. In the line-up was John Rowland (ten), Darren Grainger (alt), Dave Weisser (tpt), Barry Ashcroft (pno), Mick Danby (bs), James (gtr) and Eric Stutt (dms). Later, John Pope (bs), David Carnegie (dms) and an excellent guitarist called Stewart (see photo) spelled the rhythm section.
Lawrie played some fine vibes on "Moonglow" but, as last week, the highlight of the first set was a Barry Ashcroft original - a blues this time, the name of which I didn't catch.
After the break and the inevitable shuffling of the dots to accommodate the sitters-in, "Jive Samba" got things moving but it was the penultimate number that hit the home run - Shorty Rogers' "Short Stop" with a scorching solo from Darren which, considering his recent setback is no mean achievement.
Note for Laurie and John R re "Rosetta" Click here or for the relationship between "Yardbird suite" and "Rosetta" click here.

4 comments :

laurie brown said...

thanks for the gen on Rosetta Lance
still have'nt found my recording of it.

Anonymous said...

I hadn't realised that Rosetta and Yardbird Suite used the same chords yet when you and John asked me how the middle of Rosetta went I automatically sang the bridge to Yardbird Suite!

Anonymous said...

The first 4 measures of the bridge of Rosetta are similar and I've heard it said before that is where the Parker YBSuite harmonies came from but I'm not sure. The second 4of the bridge is a bit different. I came across the old song 'I saw Stars' from a Rebecca Kilgore CD also from Keith Stephen (Django recorded it) and discovered it's bridge is identical to YBSuite so I wondered if that's where Bird maybe got the bridge harmonies from?
Roly

Anonymous said...

It could be although I would guess that Bird was probably more familiar with "Rosetta" than "I Saw Stars" and the rest of Rosetta does, loosely speaking, provide the basis for Yardbird.

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