Bebop Spoken There

Dominick "Domo" Branch: ''Most people say drummers can't write, they're just time-keepers only beating on things. But I have a very musical brain.'' (DownBeat February, 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

18288 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 142 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 14), 42

From This Moment On ...

February

Thu 19: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: George Shearing Jazz Moments.

Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Squabble @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:00pm. Steve Chambers (organ); Jude Murphy (double bass, vocals); Sid White (drums).
Fri 20: Jive Aces @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors).
Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

Sat 21: ???

Sun 22: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 22: Joe Steels Group @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Harben Kay Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: Joe Steels Group @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Finn-Keeble Group @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00.
Tue 24: Liam Oliver & Shayo Oshodi @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 26: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £6.50.
Thu 26: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00 adv.
Thu 26: Mick Cantwell Band @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Blues.

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

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Quadruple Dead Heat @ The Bridge

Ruth Lambert, Zoe Gilby, Lindsay Hannon, Claire Kelly (vcl), Stu Collingwood (pno), Andy Champion (bs), David Francis (dms).
This was indeed a night to remember - three of the area's top singers and an outsider who almost pipped them on the line!
No it wasn't possible to separate them. Each girl has her own sound, her own style and each were totally amazing in their choice of material.
Zoe kicked things off with an original Bell House Hotel - brilliant lyric, then there was The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines - a memorable track from Joni Mitchell's Mingus album. I don't think I've heard Zoe sing better - she was up for it.
Follow that must have ran through every one's minds as Claire Kelly took to the stage - the sacrificial lamb to the slaughter.
This time round it was the lamb who slayed the butcher!
Whisper Not set the stall out - Claire was in the game. How many singers do you know who will attempt Gloomy Sunday? Who will do an uppish Pagan Love Song? - inspired by Jo Stafford, said Claire. The girl is too young to have even heard of Jo Stafford!
Interval time and a look around reveals a very well attended gig. Lot's of friends old and new and a few special ones.
Third set: Lindsay Hannon takes centre stage. Lindsay keeps the bar at the highest level particularly on The End of a Love Affair. But there are others, each one a gem, that somehow slipped through my subconscious. Down With Love didn't though - it jumped - Yip Harburg would be happy.
And so it was down to Ruth to draw things to a close which she duly did even playing some guitar chords along the way.
This had been a splendid evening. Apart from the girls, Stu Collingwood was an absolute monster on piano - Stu Rules OK? Ditto Andy on bass whilst Dave, although not featured prominently, did everything that was asked.
It was brilliant I cannot say more.
Lance.
Next week Djangology replace the advertised Carpus Trio.

1 comment :

Liz said...

I read that Gloomy Sunday, (Billie sang it I think) was supposedly tried to be banned some years ago, I think from the BBC, but I may be wrong. I heard Billie singing one of Hoagy's finest yesterday, "I get along without you very well"
none finer
Liz

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