Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! .
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thu 25: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:00pm. ‘All About the Bass Sessions’. Alexia Gardner, Paula Gardner, Jude Murphy.

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, June 10, 2009

Alan Glen Trio/Take It To The Bridge/Zoe Gilby

Alan Glen (pno), Lawrence Blackadder (bs), David Carnegie (dms).
-----
Dave Weisser (tpt/vcl), Darren Grainger (ten), Barry Ashcroft (pno), Mark Williams (gtr), Eric Stutt (dms). + David Carnegie (pno), Zoe Gilby (vcl).
----
Every visit to the Chilli by the Alan Glen Trio produces something special and tonight was no exception although it was rather sad inasmuch as it marked the end of Lawrence Blackadder with the trio - he lives in Cumbria and the travelling is too much.
Nevertheless, all three were at the top of their game with a selection of tunes that would have delighted our lady from York (Liz). These included, "Have you Met Miss Jones", "It's You Or No One", a most ravishing version of "Skylark" and an uptempo "Love Letters" that owed nothing to Ketty Lester. Add Neal Hefti's "Shiny Stockings" and a few other tunes I couldn't put a name to and you have a set that enthralled from start to finish. The ease with which Alan executes the most complex phrases is truly awesome.
It goes without saying that, on his last night, Lawrence soloed superbly whilst David C, not content to solo and boot the whole thing along, later played piano with the Take it to The Bridge Boys giving Barry a break. Barry incidentally has been shorn of his locks and now looks a semi-cool dude. Another dude - a total dude - Mark Williams, who also went under the shears recently, had some fine moments on guitar. He really wailed on the final "Blues in F" ("Duane's Blues").
Eric Stutt socked it to the frontline - he's a rhythm machine with feeling - whilst Jim Crinson put in a good shift on bass, undeterred by Lawrence's performance or the fact that supremo Andy Champion was in the audience. Andy was with Hil and Zoe Gilby and Zoe lent her vocal chords to an excellent "Summer Samba" (or was it "So Nice"? or are they one and the same?).
Dave sang the verse to "Green Dolphin Street" as well blowing a nice, tightly muted, solo. Throughout their two sets Darren blew some lusty tenor. The Sam Jones' number "Unit 7" was made for his big sound
This was a top drawer night and with a decent sized audience (by Chilli standards) that included a few new faces.
Lance.

3 comments :

Hil said...

Hi Lance the song Zoe sang was

'Wave' written by Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Lance said...

Whoops!

Liz said...

This "lady from York" would have been thrilled with all of those numbers. "Shiny stockings" I will always associate with Ella. Incidentally whilst waiting for the film to begin today in our city centre cinema, someone had put on the P.A. system a number by Sarah Vaughan..how rare!looking around I could tell I was the only one in that whole sweet rattling audience who appreciated it.
Liz

Blog Archive