Total Pageviews

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

17641 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 915 of them this year alone and, so far, 60 this month (Dec. 26).

From This Moment On ...

December

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.

Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington (National Trust), Cambo, Morpeth NE61 4AR. 12 noon & 2:00pm. Admission to site £19.00.
Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Archie Brown & Friends @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00-8:00pm. Free.

January 2025

Wed 01: ???

Thu 02: ???

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: John Gregory @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.

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, April 08, 2010

Age cannot wither nor custom stale thy infinite variety - The Alan Glen Trio and Take it to the Bridge @ The Chilli.

Alan Glen (pno), John Pope (bs), David Carnegie (dms).
-----
Dave Weisser (tpt/vcl), Doug Fielder (ten), Barry Ascroft (pno), James Kitchman (gtr), Stuart Davies (bs), Malcolm Dick (dms). + Rob Brockway (pno).

What a day this has been what a rare mood I'm in ... After this afternoon's visit to the Porthole the Alan Glen Trio kept the adrenalin flowing with a mix of standards and originals laying waste to the suggestion that he only interprets rather than creates.

The originals were, A Farewell To Muggleswick a piece which brought to mind perfectly that remote County Durham hamlet situated high above the Derwent.Reservoir. How I remember the days when I would cycle up the tortuous climb. Alan's picture was less tortuous and more pastoral.

Waltz For A.C. a delightful jazz waltz dedicated to no-one and everyone. One For The Road was bouncier and funkier and inspired by All Blues. The Trio got a great groove on this one.

Standard-wise, I'm Old Fashioned, You and the Night and the Music swung with John Pope as ever producing some brilliant bass lines that were not without a touch of humour. Everything Happens To Me saw Alan at his most lyrical - so lyrical in fact you felt that, although it was an instrumental, he was improvising from the words as well as the chords. David Carnegie rounded off a day of drum education with a belting solo on I'll Remember April.

Apart from jazz originals Alan is also a prolific classical composer and I propose to discuss some of his contemporary classics shortly.

Prior to the Trio set, the Take it to the Bridge gang had done things to, among others, Sugar, Blue Daniel and Just Friends (splendid vocal by Dave).

James Kitchman had a few extended solos - he really went for it tonight and didn't play Stella By Starlight until the very end.

A surprise visit by Rob Brockway saw him sitting in and doing some fine playing on, I think, Mr PC. 

When everything comes together as it did tonight you wonder why the room wasn't packed to capacity - all this for a £1? 
Lance.
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive