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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

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

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Alyn Cosker Quartet - a Jazz North East Presentation @ The Corner House, Heaton.

Seamus Blake (ten), David Dunsmuir (gtr), Michael Janisch (bs/bs gtr.) Alyn Cosker (dms).
Pete Horsfall's review on LondonJazz more or less said it all as did Euphbass up in Glasgow so I'll try and avoid repetition.
The plus points. Seamus Blake is an absolutely superb tenor player very much in the Brecker mode. He is contemporary without resorting to the wounded Banshee sounds of so many 'forward seeking' players. As well as Brecker there was more than a hint of Rollins and Coltrane about his playing as he sailed through the changes. Indeed, had Zoot Sims been born 50 years later he may have sounded like Seamus.
Janisch we remembered from his own gig at Live Theatre during the Summer. It doesn't seem to matter whether he's on double bass or bass guitar he keeps it all together.
Dunsmuir, an excellent guitarist with technique to spare, was slightly short-changed inasmuch as he wasn't always heard clearly due to the powerhouse machine that is Alyn Cosker.
It's perhaps unfair to criticise Cosker as the room is relatively small but to these ears he could have filled The Arena volumewise. He was loud like about fffffff and then some. Indeed at times it was difficult to differentiate between solo and accompaniment.
Having said that, he is an amazing drummer who takes no prisoners. So what, I hear you ask, were the minus points?
The lighting at the Corner House is abysmal hence my lack of photos. Seamus Blake was stood at the front of the unusable stage - bathed in shadow - taking the muse above and beyond the boundaries of creation without so much as a 60w Mazda to light up his features.
But that's The Corner House these days. Rumour has it it is due for refurbishment which it certainly needs. Problem is, if and when the refurbishment takes place, will the owners still welcome the jazz that has helped to make it a worldwide name on the UK gig scene?
As well as all that, I had a cold.
Say aaagh!
Lance.

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