Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 2026)

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

18878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 742 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 4.) 21.

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

From This Moment On

September.

Tue 08: Seijiro Murayama & Jean-Luc Guionnet @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Warwick St., Newcastle, NE2 1BB. 7.00pm. £10.00 (advance); £12.00 (on door); £.15.00 (solidarity).
Tue 08: SH#RP Collective @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 08: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: 58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club. 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: NONUNONU @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE. Excellent trio.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Jacenaite All Crew @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 10: Emma Rawicz INKYRA @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.30. Sage Two. Line-up: Emma Rawicz (sax); Scottie Thompson (piano, keyboards, synth); David Preston (guitar); Kevin Glasgow (bass guitar); Jack Thomas (drums).

Fri 11: Esther Bennett @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £10.00. Esther Bennett (vocals); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass).
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: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £14.09 (inc. bf).

Sat 12: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 12: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26 (inc. bf).

Sun 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: King Bees @ Shape Patisserie, Darlington. 3:00pm. Free. Duo (Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor). A Rhythm & Blues Fringe event. Blues excellence.
Sun 13: Alligator Gumbo @ The Cluny. 5:00pm. £17.15.; £11.43; £5.72.
Sun 13: Eternal Triangle + Andy Champion @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 14: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Gerry Richardson's Big Idea @ Corner House, Newcastle. Thursday 18th November

Gerry Richardson's Big Idea: Gerry Richardson (Hammond), Rod Sinclair (guitar), Graeme Hare (drums), Garry Linsley (alto saxophone), Stuart Johnson (tenor & soprano saxophones), Sue Ferris (tenor & baritone saxophones, flute), Mark Webb (trumpet & flugel horn), Dave Hignett (trumpet & flugel horn), Keith Norris (trombone) Hammond maestro Gerry Richardson reconvened Big Idea at the refurbished, if not salubrious, Corner House Hotel. Guitarist Rod Sinclair was on top form and drum dep Graeme Hare was so good that the fixture that is Paul Smith wasn't missed at all!
Stone Church opened proceedings. Blues for Big Red was a feature number for Sinclair (Rod was once upon a time a redhead) and Another Dark One revealed Hare's excellent sight-reading skills as he negotiated a convoluted drum 'n bass pattern with Stuart Johnson's soprano playing setting the standard.
Richardson's 'greatest hit' (aka African Sunset) was just about guaranteed to be in the set and Arturo Sandoval, Michel Camilo and Paquito D'Rivera were honoured with a cracking Autumn in the Barrio (no surprise then that the trumpets - Hignett and Webb - were to the fore). Richardson's late night saloon bar tune Think I'll Lay Waste to Myself Tonight is made for the bandleader's down beat Mose Allison style delivery - this was GR at his vocal best. Take the Tee Train, a Richardson classic, closed out the first set.
The interval meant a trip to the bar. There was a queue a mile long. It was the band, they had beaten me to it! Refuelled (eventually), the second set provided yet more highlights including Big Jazz Club in the Sky and Gil Scott Heron's Lady Day and John Coltrane. The latter number is a favourite of this reviewer. It exemplifies the very spirit of Big Idea.
Two sets of good tunes with plenty of solo opportunities for all - altoist Garry Linsley knows the material inside out, Keith Norris had a blast and the diminuitive Sue Ferris yet again produced a big sound on tenor, muscular baritone and free-flowing flute. A good session.
The versatile Rod Sinclair can be heard in another context on Sunday evening with fellow guitarist James Birkett at the Bridge Hotel as they play the music of the likes of Charlie Christian, Carl Kress and Dick McDonaugh. Russell

No comments :

Blog Archive