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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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 25: Fred Wesley & the New JB’s @ The Cluny. 7:30pm (doors). £27.50. POSTPONED! New date Wednesday 26 November.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. 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

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Stephenson's Rocket - Mike Carr's Blue Note Band.

Back in 1968 or was it 1969? I heard (on LP) "Hammond Under Pressure". Mike Carr (organ) and Tony Crombie (dms) were the 'pressurisers'; no bass player. This was, quite simply, the best organ disc I'd ever heard. It had always been a source of puzzlement to me why the Jimmy Smiths, the McGriffs and the McDuffs used a bass player rather than the instrument's pedalboard; after all, your average club or church organist manages the pedals with varying degrees of success, why not the so-called 'world's greatest'? After a few plays, it occurred to me that Mike Carr was doing a helluva lot more than his much vaunted contemporaries - and he was putting down better basslines with the pedals than their bassists were doing!
In consequence, I registered my vote for Mike in the annual Down Beat Poll of 1969. Needless to say, Jimmy Smith, who'd been winning organ polls seemingly since Bach retired, won with 2945 votes. I don't know how many Mike scored as they didn't list those names who amassed less than 30. Maybe he only got my vote.
Nevertheless, I remain convinced that Mike was, and indeed still is, the world's finest jazz organist and I was delighted to see my opinions vindicated by Wally Houser in the August 2002 edition of JARS - the Ronnie Scott Club house magazine - and reproduced in the sleeve notes of this CD.
The Blue Note Band brings together the Brothers Fishwick - Steve (tpt) and Matt (dms) - alongside Steve Kaldestad (ten) and of course Mike Carr - not a bass player in sight! Robert Ahwai (gtr) & Simon Morton (perc) are added on some tracks.
However, this is not just about Mike the Organ Giant but Mike the composer and arranger - and vibist/pianist.
The tunes are all in the hard bop style associated with Blue Note Records and several are dedicated to such luminaries as Dizzy, Bird and Milt as well as his former colleague in the Emcee 5 - the late Ronnie Stephenson. With the two Steves attuned to the idiom and driven along by Matt on drums this disc can walk tall alongside anything from Rudy Van Gelder's New Jersey studio - and I am an avid collector of Blue Note's.
I'd like to see the band booked by Jazz North East - did I hear a whisper somewhere that it was in the pipeline?
Lance

1 comment :

emcee said...

Thanks for the Write up you did a great job.

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