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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17655 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 929 of them this year alone and, so far, 74 this month (Dec. 31).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 05: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Americana, jazz & blues.
Sun 05: Papa G’s Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Mon 06: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 09: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: John H Hammond.
Thu 09: FILM: Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 2:35pm. Documentary (dir. Johan Grimonprez) ‘about jazz, (de)colonial history and activism featuring Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie’.
Thu 09: Happy Tuesdays @ Ye Olde Cross, Ryton. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 09: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 09: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. The session now monthly, next one Thursday 2nd Feb, then first Thursday in the month thereafter.

Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free.

Sat 11: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 11: Under the Wellie @ 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

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Alexander Stewart & Alex Webb Trio @ Spice of Life. Special guests Denys Baptist & Abram Wilson

Alexander Stewart (vcl), Alex Webb (pno), Gary Crosby (bs), Andy Chapman (dms) + Denys Baptiste (ten), Abram Wilson (tpt), Paul Pace, Rosemary, Jennie, Christine (vcls).
Was this a gig or was this a gig!?
Alexander Stewart is one of the best young singers I've heard in many a year. Okay, so he relates to Bublé and, by those musical genetics to Sinatra, nevertheless he is is his own (young) man.
He literally took The Spice apart with his versions of "Too Marvelous For Words", "Young at Heart" and a variety of other standards such as Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover". "I'm in the Mood For Love", "Love me or Leave Me", "Body and Soul" plus a few originals written by pianist Alex Webb.
When Denys Baptiste joined in on tenor it became a kickass evening. The highspot for me was "You Don't Know Me". Baptiste's tenor scorched the rooftops whilst Alexander turned it into a 2009 torch song.
Something else!
There were so many more gems throughout.
Paul Pace sang a couple then introduced three girls who each did their own thing. After Rosie and Jennie had sung and swung "East of the Sun" and "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" respectively, a lass called Christine raised the game with her take on "Anthropology" - wow Christine I love you!
Then, just when you thought it was all over, during Alexander's final set on came Abram Wilson who blew some terrific trumpet on "All of Me". Abram has gigs coming up at Canterbury, Milton Keynes, London and beyond so check him out - he is the business.
To make the night complete, I sat in a corner like that guy Jackie Horner and made conversation with a chap who was drinking his curds and whey. (So I'm mixing him up with Little Miss Muffet? Poetic licence!)
Guess what? He came from Durham! And he played tenor! We had a thing or two in common!
Nice to meet you Tom - we'll keep in touch.
Then there was my buddy the doorman - if Down Beat ever have a poll for Doorman of the Year you will be up there.
Super night.
Lance

3 comments :

Hil said...

Had a listen to Alexander Stewart on myspace and he is very good.
Only 21 yrs old from Manchester.
As Anne and Billy said to Zoe its great that youngsters are keeping the jazz flag flying.

Alex Webb said...

Thanks Lance for that great review of our gig last night.
I hope you don’t mind, I’ve posted your review on my Myspace and also stuck one of the live pics on my Myspace photo album – credited of course.
Many thanks for lending your ears! I’ll make sure you hear about other things we do.
Best regards,
Alex Webb
Media Relations Manager, Contemporary Music
barbican
t - 020 7382 6199
m - 07788 916768
e- awebb@barbican.org.uk
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS

Lance said...

Hey Alex I enjoyed it but I omitted to lavish well deserved praise on yourself and the trio. Without you guys...

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