Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Thu 13: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 13: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! Back on Aug. 27.
Thu 13: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: John Settle Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. John Settle (vibes); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 14: Bold Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00 + bf.

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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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