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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Only Six Standards.
Thu 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. 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

Thursday, April 22, 2010

PROGRAMME NOTES 21/04/2010— A recital of improvised music by John Pope FEATURING GD & Sultry Nathan

John Pope is an improvising bass player, vocalist and composer based in Newcastle upon Tyne. His extensive performance history covers a wide range of styles and genres, mainly in the fields of rock, jazz and improvised music. Musical rapport, the power of listening and the connections between music and mysticism inform his work as both an improvisor and composer, presented here in two improvising ensembles based primarily around electronic instruments and effects.
GD — Eli Jenkins (Nintendo DS. Effects), John Pope (Vocals, Kaoss Padi & Caroline Pugh (Vocals)
GD perform a set of improvised music featuring electronics, voices and pre-recorded material. This ensemble formed in 2009 at Newcastle University. They create music spontaneously, exploring the possibilities and limitations of the technology they employ and the texture and role of the human voice.
Sultry Nathan — David Carnegie (Drums). Athol Cassidy (Guitar) & John Pope (Bass Guitar)
Sultry Nathan perform improvised pieces created with John’s “Sigils” method of structured improvisation.
A sigil in mystical practice is an image, mantra or other representation of an abstracted idea, simplified and transferred from one language (english) into another (image, sound). In John’s “Sigil” pieces these sig its take the form of cues with appropriate names, which are put into a listed order to create a continuous piece of music. Each cue represents a detailed description of a particular sound-world, but the melodic, rhythmic and other musical content is not prescribed; the improvisors know what kind of sound to make, but must decide for themselves what to do in the moment, through the art of listening and reacting. The listed cues are then moved through one-by-one, cued by the improvisors as and when they see fit. This puts great importance on a shared musical rapport between the players, as the music changes and new ideas must be presented and explored.
Sultry Nathan are a total-improvisation jazz-rock trio formed in late 2008 by John and guitarist Athol Cassidy. The recent addition of drummer David Carnegie to the lineup makes this the debut performance of this incarnation of the ensemble, although both Athol and David have been fequent musical partners of John’s in various situations, including jazz. soul and improv hip-hop!
We hope you enjoy the performance. Thanks for listening!
John Pope.
(The above are the programme notes from John Pope's Post Grad recital at Newcastle University. They are printed in full. I'm told, was an interesting and diverse event. - Lance).

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