Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,105 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 969 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Nov. 14) 39.

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

November

Sun 15: Lianne Carroll: Jazz Vocal Weekend Workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 9:30am-5:00pm. Day 2/2. SOLD OUT!
Sun 15: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ The Waiting Room, Eaglescliffe. 7:00pm. £48.18 (to include dinner); £17.43 (concert only).
Sun 15: Sarah Gillespie & Chris Montague @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sun 15: Liane Carroll @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Solo performance. SOLD OUT!

Mon 16: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Jacob Egglestone, Paul Grainger, Joe Deans.
Tue 17: Grammy Season (Laubrock/Seabrook/Lovato/Rainey) @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 19: Papa G’s Troves @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 19: Marina Josephina @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £10.60; £10.60.; £8.50 Early Bird.

Fri 20: Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion: The Music of Duke Ellington @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
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: Customs House Big Band @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.

Sat 21: Pete Tanton Duo @ Awesome Frank’s, West Jesmond Metro Station, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £8.00.
Sat 21: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Westovian Theatre, South Shields. 7:30pm. £18.00.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY MUSIC FESTIVAL AT KING’S HALL

.Newcastle University Saxophone Quartet (Monday afternoon June 13th)

(Jamie Stockbridge, Charlie Bayley, Nicola Thorne and David Mabbott).

I thought I was going to hear classical music at this free festival, which is on for an hour each day this week, and also in the evenings. However the final item of the concert turned out to be this saxophone quartet who treated us to some very tasty tunes.

They began with a tune by someone called Bill Hayes – I didn’t catch the title but it was something about wine. Then came Autumn Leaves, slow and fast by turns, with a high pitched climax towards the end. There followed Brubeck’s Blue Rondo a la Turk, from the Time Out album with short perky solos. Next came another title I didn’t catch, (was it London or Loudon?) by Thelonious Monk, a lovely deep slow relaxed tune. The performance ended with a 1940’s medley which rounded off the concert in lively fashion with a ride on the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

The four sax’s covered the range well, from the straight one (soprano?) to a deep one (baritone?) and, I presume, alto and tenor in between. (Sorry to sound so amateurish about this). The elegant surroundings of the King’s Hall didn’t detract and actually helped me to concentrate on the music more.

I’d recommend these concerts to music lovers in general. We were also so treated to wonderful piano (Beethoven, Chopin, and not a note of printed music anywhere). There was also an avant-garde (their description) piece by a tuba and trombone duo, which I thought defied classification, and could have been classical, or even Jazz North East ‘On The Outside’.

Ann Alex

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