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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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

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: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
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: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ Three Sheets to the Wind, Alnwick. 5:15pm or 5:45pm (times tbc). Part of the Alnwick Story Festival's music fringe programme: Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Joseph O’Brien: The Ultimate Tribute to Frank Sinatra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. O’Brien & seven piece band (inc. Wendy Kirkland, Jim Corry & Pat Sprakes).
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 02: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £10.00. Day 3/3.
Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 02: Side Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Derwentwater Road, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Milne Glendinning Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 6:30pm.
Sun 02: Bella by Barlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 02: Ali Watson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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, December 17, 2009

Too Marvelous for Words - Alan Glen Trio and Take It To The Bridge @ The Chilli. Dec 16.

Alan Glen (pno), John Pope (bs), David Carnegie (dms).
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Dave Weisser (tpt/vcl/whistling), Barrie Ascroft (pno), Jim Crinson (bs), Eric Stutt (dms) + Tom Dibb (gtr), James ? (gtr), David Carnegie (pno).
There simply isn't enough superlatives left in 'Mr Webster's Dictionary' to describe the Alan Glen Trio. Nor his rarely repeated selection of tunes.
"On Green Dolphin Street", "Over The Rainbow", Clifford Brown's "Sandu", "Four", "Darn That Dream", "Thou Swell" and a semi-original called, appropriately enough, "Something Borrowed, Something Blue" a piece composed by Alan that leans, he told me, in places on possibly a Hampton Hawes composition.
The ideas flowed faster from the Glen fingers than the rain that was 'stair-rodding' outside did from the heavens. It was a roller coaster ride we wished would never end. When it did end, after an encore on "If I Were a Bell", the adrenalin was coursing boy was that 'drenny' coursing!
John Pope has slotted in well with the trio the rich fullness of sound providing a solid foundation. He also solos with humour and invention.
On drums, David Carnegie drove things along - awesome power, agility and kickass confidence are his middle names. Trading punches in the "Fours" routine that inevitably concluded the swingers he kept his compatriots on their toes and, as ever, his featured solo was dexterity personified.
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Earlier, Take It To The Bridge had created the relaxed Chilli ambience with Dave in good voice on "A Foggy Day" he also threw in some whistling on "Well You Needn't" (but he did!).
Tom Dibb (say hello to your folks for me Tom - we met at East Rainton), who is currently foregoing the charms of his native Rotherham, sat in and played some fine guitar culminating in a wild blast on "Billie's Bounce" in the later Jam Session. Drummer Carnegie played piano on this one - his solo was pretty outré too.
Former regular James took over on guitar for "Beautiful Love" and "Stella By Starlight" a couple of tunes he is not totally unfamiliar with.
Eric Stutt booted things along before and after the main event as did Jim and Barrie on bass and piano respectively.
It was a good night topped off by my winning of the raffled CD - a compillation of Bob Berg tracks some of which featured Mike Stern on guitar. I'm sure this was arranged by Roly Veitch and God from their distant habitats - Roly over there in Blaydon and God up there sheltering from the rain - as Roly and I had been talking about Mike Stern only a couple of days previous and I'd confessed my unfamiliarity with the guitarist's work. R and G move in mysterious ways their wonders to perform. In Roly's case those wonders will be performed when he presents and hopefully sits in with Roy Williams and Johnny Barnes at tonight's (Thursday Dec. 17) Xmas Party at Blaydon - another unmissable event. Be there.
Talking Xmas parties - next Wednesday is party night at the Chilli with Budvivar.
Lance.
(As a show of respect a photo of the late Darren Grainger was displayed at the back of the stage. Nice gesture Dave.)

1 comment :

Russell said...

Hi Lance

For me Billie's Bounce was the highlight of the evening.

Russell

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