Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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, August 02, 2009

Stockton Jazz Festival. Part one 12 noon - 4:00 pm.

This was indeed a musical banquet with each course a musiculinary delight. For starters there was Alter Ego. Hard blowing bop led by Keith Robinson (alto) and spurred on by David Francis' Art Blakeyian drive. Alongside Keith in the front line were Niall Armstrong (flt/ten) and Alex Leathard (tmb) - even without Dave Hignett's trumpet they put the boot in with some powerful blowing. The rhythm section of Giles Strong (gtr), Andy Hawking (pno), Ian Paterson (bs) and David F on drums meant the impetus never faltered. Click here for some stunning pictures from Amanda Knight, Alter Ego finished with a storming "The Soulful Mr Timmons" that said to the world - "Follow That!"...
... And that's just what the Zoe Gilby Quintet did - in spades! I can honestly say that this was the best set I've heard from Zoe for many a moon; this afternoon everything worked. Opening with a sort of a medley whereby "I'm Beginning to See The Light" somehow had "When Lights Are Low" entwined in the middle. They've both got 'light(s)' in the title get it? Anyhow it worked beautifully. A duo number, with Zoe and husband to be Andy on bass, "Nice Work If You Can Get It", was simply magnificent and, although she scatted it was done tastefully and so appealingly that even Angela would have approved!
"That Old Black Magic" also raised a few goosebumps as did the final "West Coast Blues" with solos from Mark Williams (gtr), Mark Jackson, sitting in on piano, Andy 'the bass' Champion, Richard Brown (dms) and last and most definitely not least, "Mister here there and everywhere" Noel Dennis on Geneva trumpet. His solo was really something but then again, aren't they always?
It was asking a lot of the Miles Ahead group to follow Alter Ego and Zoe but they did it brilliantly. A mixture of youth and experience they played some tricky scores expertly and the girl saxes all had good solo spots. Lead alto Caroline Bagley's feature on "You Don't Know What Love Is" being particularly outstanding. As Noel said, "The future of jazz is in safe hands."
If anyone can give me the names I'll carve them here with pride. (Click here for a view from the inside).
By this time the need for some non-musical culinary delights surfaced and they were immediatly satisfied by Hilary who produced ham and cheese & corned beef and pickle sandwiches - with choccy bickies to follow. This seemed to be pretty close to heaven.
The final set of my tenure was Saxophonics - a saxophone quartet. Keith Robinson (alt), Steve Summers (alt/ten), Graeme Wilson(ten) and Niall Armstrong (bar) were the saxes and they played the complex arrangements to perfection. Impossible to fault but perhaps a little too perfect if that is possible. The harmonic richness and the four way counterpoint did make for some intriguing passages but I have to admit I did miss a rhythm section.
By now it was 4:00 pm and I had to depart for pastures new.
Russell will deliver his report on events from here onwards or until the bar closes.
Lance.

No comments :

Blog Archive