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Bebop Spoken There

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Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Billy Harper on Jacky Denton

So desperately sad to hear of the death of one of my oldest & respected colleagues, a fellow Francophile who spent all his holidays in France in his caravan which was permanently garaged in France during the winter. Before Anne & I left for France, we talked about the possibility of him & his wife Margaret dropping in to visit us "en-route" but this proved to be almost impossible because of the distances involved & sadly we never caught up with each other. I first worked with Jack in 1957 whilst I was doing my National Service in the RAF. I was posted to Acklington which allowed me to do gigs in Newcastle & I took the piano chair in the reformed Mighty Joe Young Band -- Jack was the drummer & the others were Hughie Aitchison ,Brian Clarke, Trevor Johnson, Ronnie Maclean, Brian Fisher & Joe himself.
Jack had something that can't be taught -- a natural driving swing that kicked the band along beautifully (just reminding myself that Joe & myself are the only surviving members) .Jack didn't stay long as he was called for National Service & was replaced by Ian Forbes. Having done his 2 years in the Army, he reclaimed his drum chair in the band & stayed for some time until he joined forces with Mike Carr & John McLoughlan for a season at Ronnie Scott's in London where he was highly thought of by the top guys. But he told me that he was unhappy about the drug scene down there & was not prepared to settlewith his family & eventually he returned to Gateshead. At this point I had left the Mighty Joe Young Band and formed a trio with Jack & Brian Fisher at the Five Bridges Hotel which eventually folded. Although I was by now heavily involved in commercial music (10 years in the Mayfair Ballroom) & Jack had serious medical problems, we still managed to do the odd gig together from time to time & in 1998/9 we had a great time (musically!!!!) in the Jazz Cafe with Jack, Roly Veitch & Ian Heslop. I gave Jack "free rein" & he proved what I had always known -- his drumming had lost nothing over the years. From 1999 to 2004 my trio was employed ay the Bude Jazz Fest. in Cornwell as the House band for the week,supporting the "bigboys" from Town & in 2004 my normal drummer Nigel Cretney from Buxton, was taken seriously ill at the last minute & a dep was urgently required. My first call was Jack & without knowing what the money was like, he immediately agreed to do the gigs. We travelled together to Bude & shared an appartment close to the venues & had an absolute ball. Jack played out of his skull! Our first gig was with Alan Barnes with whom I have worked with many times & who does not "take prisoners". At the end of the first number Alan came up to me, with a huge smile on his face & said "Wow! Where have you been hiding this guy?" Mark Nightingale gave an almost identical response & several of the older musicians remembered him from his short stay in London. I overheard conversations at other gigs people suggesting to their friends that they must go & see this great drummer with the trio. In fact Jack was the star of the week & deservedly so. Many people who didn't know him very well thought that he was a noisy, insensitive, rough diamond but nothing could be further from the truth. Underneath that brash exterior was a nice man who didn't tolerate fools gladly but was warm & thoughtful with a lovely sense of humour--- I am proud to have known him as a friend & colleague -- he will be greatly missed. Bill Harper p.s. Jack made great bread!
Photo was supplied by Peter Sanderson.

4 comments :

John T said...

Sad day - JD has joined all the other greats in the jazz drumshop in the sky

Jack's granddaughter: This was the message she left on his facebook page:- "rest in peace uncel jacky miss you lots.
look after little gran up in heaven. dont forget to look down on us. love you ♥
xxxxxx

Unknown said...

jacky denton was my uncle the little girl on facebook is my daughter, Well what can i say about Jacky? they certainly broke the mould when they made him, I was privilieged not only to know this wonderfull man but to also have his blood running through my veins, I have told the younger children in the family that when they hear the thunder its uncle jacky playing his drums in heaven. Thankyou to everyone for such wonderfull tributes, We are so very proud of him and he did make cracking bread xxxx

barbaradenton. said...

Jacky was my brother. Thanx to everyone for tributes. He was the best and was my first idol. He was thrilled when the Muppet show drummer was called 'Animal' as he'd always said all proper drummers were animals. His love of technology, gadgets and gizmos is another of his quirks and he despaired of me. He was forever trying to enlighten me.Miss u 4ever pet.

Sophie said...

well its sophie.i just would like to say that my uncle was the best ever drummer in the north east.rest in peace JD its been a sad month lost but not forgotten.love you always,sophie ♥
xxxxxxxx.

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