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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + SH#RP Collective with Lindsay Hannon - open rehearsal.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Struggle Buggy @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Boys of Brass @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 06: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £14.00. Tel: 0191 237 3697. ‘Victory in Europe Afternoon Tea’ (VE Day 80th anniversary).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: FILM: Whiplash @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 8:15pm.

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, December 06, 2009

SPLINTER @ THE BRIDGE - NEWCASTLE

This was a JAZZATHON!
Nonstop from Noon till late evening it was standing room only as the cream of the local crop were heard to their best advantage.
I missed most of the opening set from Splinter but what I heard sounded good.
Splinter were followed by HCW and AVC. Look to Russell for review of the three openers.
By the time the Mark Williams Trio - that's Mark on guitar, David Carnegie (dms) and Paul Susans (bs) - took to the stage I'd settled in ready to face the music if you'll pardon the pun. I should explain I was coming off the back of a cold and still felt a bit groggy.
Mark was simply superb playing original compo's that soon took my mind away from the fever. So smooth and mellow, or so I thought before he went into, according to Russell, a John Schofield blast. With David Carnegie punching things along and Paul Susans big fat bass sound adding to the overall this raised the bar by about ten metres and it was a 'follow that' situation.
Ruth Lambert took up the challenge and did indeed 'follow that' - in a duo set with Mark remaining on stage.
Not that it was easy for Ruth - a few mic./speaker problems caused some uncertainty but she kept her cool and the audience were behind her so that by the time she laid out "This is Always" it was okay.
Zoe and Andy Champion followed with their duo set which included "Take it Easy - But Take It" - words and music by Bebop Spoken Here correspondent George Milburn.
Nice one George.
Then came the surprize - a duet by Zoe and Ruth! No less a number than Peggy Lee's "I'm a Woman - w-o-m-a-n."
Brought the house down. Well done girls.
The Claude Werner Quartet with Claude on tenor, Mark Williams on guitar, Laurence Blackadder (bs) and David Carnegie (dms) played some interesting pieces. In particular, "Sweet Stories" caught my ear with it's delicate 3/4 rhythm that suddenly burst into flames with Claude's gladiatorial entry.
It was all very enjoyable then suddenly, in the final number, it exploded into a metallic like thrash that had guitar and tenor screaming into orbit like two comets soaring through an inter gallactic explosion.
Whew!
This was it - nobody could follow that! Not least the Safe Sextet.
Who?
This is the resident band from the Jazz Café and with Paul Gowland and John Rowland on tenors and Don Forbes, tumpet, they went for it! Steve Doyle (dms), Barrie Ascroft (bs) and Alan Laws (pno) kept it all moving with Alan playing some fine two-fisted piano and the horns 'blowing for gold'.
An excellent hard bop set that lost nothing by comparision.
Saxophonics and Alter Ego were yet to come - Extreme Measures having pulled out - but by this time I was ready to join the walking dead so I opted out.
All in all a successful day that I hope carries on in the coming Sunday evening gigs - next week it is HCW and Legoland.
Well done Adrian Tilbrook who organised, played drums, took photos, handed out packets of crisps, compered and generally kept things running to schedule. If you read this, Adrian, you will know your hard work was appreciated.
Lance.
PS: If asked to award a 'Man of the match award" It would have go to Mark Williams for his sheer versatility in so many different settings.

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