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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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

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.

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

Friday, January 14, 2011

Review: The Magnificent Eric Delaney by Eddie Sammons

This is the revised and updated 2010 edition and it makes good reading - despite the fact that it has a photo of me next to the great man himself (In Rosie Malone's)!
Still going strong in his eighty seventh year Eric Delaney is a survivor and Eddie Sammons has captured his life - well most of it! - in great detail.
From his early days as a child prodigy through playing in Geraldo's Band, his own big band and various smaller units both at home and abroad it is a portrait of a man who never waited for opportunity to knock but made it happen. There are a number of musicians with North-east connections mentioned - Des Lumsden (who provided much of the material), Vince Bovill, Malcolm and Brian Saul, Ronnie Aspery, Colin Hodgkinson, Gerry Gerke and, of course, Bobby Carr (who joined in 1957) are some of the ones I noticed. There is also a couple of photos from The Porthole with Miles Watson and Doug Fielder and references to such local venues as the Fiesta Club, Stockton, the Sage, Gateshead, the Rex, Whitley Bay and Newcastle City Hall.
He also married a Sunderland lass - Pat Bergson.
A girl, Sarah Jane Burn from Annfield Plain, is quoted as winning a drumming competition - wonder what became of her?
Parochial interests aside - it's a great read that takes you back to the days when the Big (or in Eric's case 'biggish') Bands roamed the pre-motorway land to the present time when Eric Delaney still plays concerts, clubs wherever there's music he's there. The mutual admiration between Eric and Louis Bellson indicates if nothing else does Eric's standing in drum society.
I automatically reached out for my Oranges and Lemons CD at the finish of each chapter. Truckin' is a really fine arrangement. Eric told me a risque story about the title of that tune which I won't repeat here!
The Amazing Eric Delaney (329 pages) by Eddie Sammons is available from Amazon £11.99 + pp.
Lance

3 comments :

Berb said...

Sarah Burn is a good friend. We played in the same brass band together, (The Ever Ready Band, now The Reg Vardy Band. She is now playing in the Leyland brass band and is getting married this year.

Bob Stephenson.
Drummer/Percussionist/Actor

Lance said...

Thanks Bob and best wishes to Sarah.

Liz said...

Eric Delaney was a real character & hero to my generation .. "Delaney's delight" was always my fave..
Liz

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