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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington (National Trust), Cambo, Morpeth NE61 4AR. 12 noon & 2:00pm. Admission to site £19.00.
Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Archie Brown & Friends @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00-8:00pm. 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

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

New Orleans Club - Roly Veitch

My first experiences of local live jazz were at The New Orleans Jazz Club at the top of Forth Bank in Newcastle.
A dowdy building on the corner - you went down some stairs to a smokey cellar area with various murky recesses filled with bodies of all shapes and sizes. There, in the far corner, the band would play.
The club was run by a Pole, Jurich - I wonder what happened to him? Live music for me at that time (late 60s, 70s) would be a mix of The NO Club (jazz) and The Club Agogo (R&B) in Percy Street.
My memories of the local bands who played at The N.O. is hazy now - Mighty Joe Young with a quartet, Jeff Hedley (a very 'modern' player for the time) and his band, various other units. However, one magical concert stands out in the memory. It was by Zbigniew Namylowsky and his Polish Modern Jazz Quartet. He played alto in a fiery, boppish style. The pianist was a midget - he could hardly reach his hands up over the keyboard but was a wonderful player. It almost might have been Petrucciani but wasn't. Still don't know who he was. Drums and bass unknown too. The music, I read afterwards, was a mix of bop and ethnic folk music. I didn't really understand it but remember being mesmerised. That was my first encounter with the magic of international class jazz - an enthralling concert by some fantastic players.
Bill Harper recalled blind pianist Peter Jacobsen coming to a gig there with his dad - Peter was only in his early teens. His dad asked if he could sit in. The band were a bit uncertain about it and not sure what to expect. Anyway they agreed and Bill asked what tune he wanted to play. "Stella by Starlight" came the reply. 'Hmmmm - Stella', said Bill - 'what key?' 'Any key you like' young Peter replied. I like that story.
Does anyone have more detail about the club in general and this concert, the Polish jazz quartet, in particular, the other personnel etc?
Roly

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

"Stella by Starlight" Roly is one of my faves of all times. Here in York for many years there was a hugely talented pianist called Bobby Hirst...he was a legend & played all over the city for dinner dances, and later just for beer money when that era was over. My dad played with him in the early days,(he was a guitarist) I remember Bobbie's fave was this number, he loved the standards so much that he named his daughter Ella. I haven't thought of Bobby for ages until I read your blog.

Anonymous said...

Found this, Roly, on Google:

Lola
Label: GOWI, 1996 (Poland)
Catalog No.: CDG 30

Zbigniew Namyslowski playlist

Tracks:

PEKNA LOLA, KWIAT POLNOCY (BEAUTIFUL LOLA, FLOWER OF THE NORTH) (Namyslowski) 6.37
LESZEK I LUDWIG (Gulgowski) 3.36
PIATAWKA (IN 5/4 TIME) (Namyslowski) 8.00
BLUES SHMUES (Namyslowski) 3.50
ROZPACZ (DESPAIR) (Namyslowski) 7.19
TKOTKONITKOTKO (Namyslowski) 4.44
WOZNY - NAJWAZNIEJSZY (THE CARETAKER - THE MOST IMPORTANT MAN) (Gulgowski) 3.54
OL' MAN RIVER (Kern, Hammerstein) 6.45
Performed by:

Zbigniew Namyslowski - alto sax
Wlodzimierz Gulgowski - piano
Tadeusz Wojcik - bass
Czeslaw Bartkowski - drums

Recorded:

August 1964 at Decca Studios, London. Originally released on LP: DECCA LK 4644, 1964

(I presume they have nicknames!)

Anonymous said...

Looked at this but the play list unfortunately defaults. There are some YouTube features for Namylowski recorded more recently.
These players on this 1964 recording could have been the bass and drummer at The New Orleans I suppose but Gulgowsky was not the pianist. I don't think so anyway. Wonder who it was?
Roly

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