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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones - 1975.
Thu 20: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 20: Orange Claw Hammer + Peony @ The Globe, Newcastle.7:30pm. Orange Claw Hammer play Captain Beefheart.
Thu 20: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Featuring special guest Zoë Gilby.

Fri 21: JazzMain @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. TBC.
Fri 21: Emma Rawicz w. Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Mississippi MacDonald @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Blues.
Sat 22: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm. £16.50. SOLD OUT!
Sat 22: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

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

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

SHE’S GOT SWING! Cherry Tree Restaurant

Emma Fisk (violin), Paul Edis (piano), Mick Shoulder (bass) and Adam Sinclair (drums). The boys kicked off a magical evening with Witchcraft then Emma joined them for Don’t Come Better Than That – a sentiment with which the audience agreed! How subtly different everything is with a violin up front: its plangent tones make slower numbers more mellow and wistful yet it can be quirky and skittish with swing! And the next two numbers swung – Ain’t Misbehavin’ and It Had to Be You. Ol’ Jack Horner was welcome to his plum: smoked salmon, sourdough, shallots and capers all round for us! Next it was full-on wistful/dreamy with Django’s Nuages – no storm cloud this, surely, more billowy white against an azure sky? Rodgers and Hart then delivered This Can’t Be Love while the waitress delivered my posh fish and chips – deep fried red gurnard with lemon and tartare sauce, no less. Both the food and the song were exquisite!
This title lead seamlessly into the next, via the lyric – "without your love….". but this version of Paper Moon was no honky-tonk parade, starting as it did, with an intricate, subtle piano intro from Paul. The first half swung out (as it had swung in) appropriately with It Don’t Mean a Thing If it Ain’t Got…. Chocolate and coffee crème brulée with biscotti filled out the interval and rounded off another lovely Cherry Tree meal. Compliments to the staff! The boys then got cooking again with Yesterdays and Paul and Adam enjoyed trading fours without anything being over-egged! It was then full-swing-ahead with Lady be Good, contrasted next by the slower Alice in Wonderland, then we were Walkin’ My Baby Back Home. Is it just me, or is there a bit of that which sounds like Mary Wells with My Guy? Anyway, Someone to Watch Over Me took us back to wistful/yearning etc. as did Autumn Leaves during which Paul got his first (deserved) applause for a solo. There were lots of good solos all round – it just wasn’t a solo-applauding audience! But it was an appreciative one as the penultimate number – I’ve Got Rhythm – elicited an Oliver-style request for "more" which was met with the beautifully played and melodic If I Had You. Lots more good stuff coming up at this venue – watch this space! Jerry

2 comments :

JT said...

Emma brought more than just hot club swing to the Cherry Tree last night. At times her violin reminded me of Stephan G's sessions with Yehudi Menuhin.
My only problem with the Cherry Tree is that sometimes you cant hear all the instruments. Last night the balance was great and the piano sound was particularly crisp - never mind a faultless performance by a line up we look forward to hearing again
JT

Debra said...

A great gig. The whole ensemble complemented each other really well.

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