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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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

Saturday, July 09, 2011

Brass Jaw and Jambone @ The Sage.

Brass Jaw:Ryan Quigley (tpt), Paul Towndrow (alt), Konrad Wisniewski (ten) and Allan Beauvoisin (bar).
Jambone: 5 saxes, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, Colm Rooney (pno), Ivan Scutt (bs), Bradley Johnston (gtr), (drums).
Brass Jaw opened up to an audience comprising, in the main, friends and relations of Jambone! Where was the jazz fraternity who, with a couple of notable exceptions, were missing? This was incredible! Brass Jaw are unique mixing, as they do, free collective improvisation, solos and arranged passages to amazing effect.
At times when the four musicians were wailing away in a fugue-like.manner I couldn't but help thinking that J.S.Bach would have loved the contrapuntal lines they were putting down. This wasn't Bach Goes To Town a la Alec Templeman - this was Bach going down to the Bigg Market on a Saturday night bender!
Quigley is an amazing trumpet player and it was no surprise when "Big Band" Tony told me that Ryan was doing a Maynard Ferguson tribute at Wigan Jazz Festival. Paul Towndrow plays wonderful modern alto, likewise Konrad on tenor but the cigar goes to Beauvoisin for pumping the baritone so effectively.
Brass Jaw are appearing at the Durham Brass Festival on July 16/17 - so you've got another couple of chances to catch them.
Unfortunately you won't have any further opportunities to hear this edition of Jambone - The Sage's brilliant youth jazz orchestra.
A lot of the players are moving on to Uni at such exotic seats of learning as Leeds, Huddersfield and points south.
They went out with a bang!.
I'm not going to quote names as the only ones I know are Bradley Johnston (gtr). Ivan Scutt (bs) and Colm Rooney (pno); but even if I did (and I'm hoping someone will send me the line-up) it would be unfair to single anyone out. When they hit the ground running on It Don't Mean a Thing I relaxed and said that this band could gig anywhere - Ronnie Scott's would be a good place to start!
The two bands had been working together and at the end of each set they merged. This was good and the youth band had no problem carrying the ball. It was a brill night but come on folks surely you weren't all at the Mouth of the Tyne Festival?.
Lance.
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