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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

17641 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 915 of them this year alone and, so far, 60 this month (Dec. 26).

From This Moment On ...

December

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.

January 2025

Wed 01: ???

Thu 02: ???

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: John Gregory @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.

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, March 22, 2009

Joshua Redman Trio - Guy Barker Jazz Orchestra.

This was a fitting finale to the 5th. Gateshead Jazz Festival with two totally different bands both of whom kicked ass in their own way.
Joshua Redman (tenor/soprano), Reuben Rogers (bass) & Greg Hutchinson (drums) played a storming set without straying too far from the bounds of convention. Redman's tenor technique is not far short of prodigious and with only double bass to anchor him harmonically he fairly soared through the changes. "Sophisticated Lady" was luscious whilst "Surrey With The Fringe" was not without a glance in the direction of Sonny Rollins. His sole outing on soprano - "Ghost" revealed him as having the best soprano sound I have ever heard! In the absence of keyboard or guitar Rogers had to be a tower of strength and he was throughout. Likewise Hutchinson who had a belter of a solo in the final number.
The Guy Barker Jazz Orchestra, the "Orchestra in Residence", devoted their set to Guy's "Amadeus Project". The suite is based on Mozartian operatic characters rather than Wolfgang Amadeus' actual music so I doubt if the composer turned over in his grave although he may have thought about it.
As it was, the resultant work provided some of the most exciting music of the festival - particularly the finale which surely raised the roof of the Sage by a good six feet. If the brass didn't achieve that feat then surely the audience's applause did. Amazingly, a gentleman sitting next to me barely moved his right hand in the direction of his left leading me to conclude that he was either dead or had wandered in from the Alan Barnes "Clarinet Marmalade" concert by mistake. What a shame the two concerts coincided.
Great weekend.
Lance

2 comments :

Lance said...

For the record - the Guy Barker Jazz Orchestra: Barker (conductor),
Rosario Giuliani, Graeme Blevins (alto), Tim Garland, Per (Texas), Johansson (ten), Phil Todd (bar).
Nathan Bray, Tom Rees Roberts, Byron Wallen, Pat White (tpts).
Mark Frost, Barnaby Dickinson, Alistair White (tmb). Jim Watson/Brian Kellock (pno). Phil Donkin (bs). Ralph Salmins (dms).

Lance said...

Joshua Redman is doing the Radio 3 interview slot on Saturday April 5 16:00 GMT.

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