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Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17864 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 185 of them this year alone and, so far,32 this month (March10).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tues 11: Solea @ Earthlings, the Healing Café, 94 Buckingham St., Newcastle, NE4 5QR. 7:00-8:45pm. Food available if ordered before 6:30pm. New band: Johannes Dalhuijsen (tenor sax, bass clarinet); Richard Herdman (guitar); Nick Bagnall (bass guitar); John Hirst (drums).
Tue 11: Giles Strong Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: The Exu + Matt Cliffe @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 13: Oh La La! @ Allendale Village Hall, Northumberland. 7:30pm. £12.00.; £6.00. child. Fifi La Mer (accordion, vocals), Oliver Wilby (reeds).
Thu 13: Fiona Finden’s Jazz Express @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 14: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Taylor @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00-2:00pm. £5.00. at the door. Second Friday in the month lunchtime concert series.
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: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Brass Funkeys + Dilutey Juice @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Oh La La! @ Edmundbyers Village Hall, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. £12.00.; £10.00. (additional £5.00. supper option, ordered in advance). Fifi La Mer (accordion, vocals), Oliver Wilby (reeds).
Fri 14: The Collective @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £8.50.
Fri 14: Bridget Metcalfe Quintet @ St George’s Venue, Park Road, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.

Sat 15: Hot Teapots @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 15: Creakin’ Bones @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Is This Jazz? @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk. Performances by Mu Quintet, Jinjé, A Brief Utopia, John Pope & Co + André Marmot (author of Unapologetic Expression: The Inside Story of the UK Jazz Explosion) in conversation + DJ sets ‘til 3:00am. ‘A Festival of New Jazz’.
Sat 15: Vintage Explosion @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 15: Alligator Gumbo @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Sat 15: One Night Standards @ The White Room, Stanley. 8:00pm. £8.67 (inc. bf). Note - previously advertised Salty Dogs cancelled.
Sat 15: Howlin’ Mat @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Blues guitar.

Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: Pearl Blossoms @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime.
Sun 16: Hot 8 Brass Band @ Wylam Brewery. 7:30pm. ‘Big Tuba Tour’.
Sun 16: ARQ @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 16: Air4ce @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (8:00pm doors). £12.00.; £10.00. Tom Atkinson’s all-star band (line-up inc. Lindsay Hannon & Sue Ferris).
Sun 16: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Jamie Toms Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Jumpin' Jazzathon!

I'm not sure what the august figures whose portraits adorn the hallowed halls of the Literary and Philosophical Society would have thought on this August afternoon as the 2011 Jazzathon kicked off it's 12 hours of music in aid of the crisis in East Africa. They would surely have approved of the end result which raised over £1000 thanks to the generosity of fans and of course the bands who gave of their services free. As will be noted from the previous preview posting it was a rich and varied program with too many highlights to list and it would be both difficult and unfair for me to single out any one band or individual with the possible exception of Paul Edis who not only played in several different bands but also organised the whole shebang! On top of that he's just got married.
When I arrived, the Noel Dennis Quartet and ACV had already played sets that the durable Russell, who was there from the birth to the death, tells me were excellent. Armed with a bottle of Wylam Brewery's Angel Bitter I settled back and enjoyed the Sue Ferris Quintet who were in a very boppy mood on the opening Opus de Funk. Alongside Sue (pictured on tenor) was Graham Hardy. This was quite a poignant moment as Graham was playing the late Mike Gilby's flugel horn passed on to his former pupil - he did his mentor proud.
Next band up was Legohead described to me by someone sitting close by as McLaughlin meets Cobham meets Pastorius it was an apt description of this driving jazz/rock trio.
We'd had Mike Gilby's flugel horn now we had his daughter.
What is there left for me to say about Zoe Gilby that hasn't been said 1000 times on this blog? Well, nothing except I thought this was the best I'd ever heard her! Ditto Noel Dennis on trumpet and flugel. The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines, I'm Always Drunk in San Fransisco just two of the many gems.
The only way any one could follow this set was by complete contrast and that's just what we got from the James Birkett/Roly Veitch Duo with the added bonus of new guitar hero on the horizon Bradley Johnson. Cool and laid back this was gentle chamber jazz that was as cool and refreshing as a Mint Julep on a hot day in Manhattan.
More boppy arrangements in a well chosen set by the Mick Shoulder Quintet before an awesome nonstop one tune set by the Lewis Watson Trio.
This was a new Lew - I guess he'd taken a sabatical practising late at night on the Millennium Bridge - a sheer tour de force a la Sonny Rollins, Joshua and Dewey, David Murray. I was left as breathless as he should have been but wasn't! The moods varied from a Debussy like pastoral tranquility to the Ride of the Valkyries on Speed. This was a tone poem created in a thunderstorm! And so it continued...
Mick Donnelly blew some nice straight down the middle tenor that never stopped swinging. The Paul Edis Sextet kept the flag flying even though the audience were flagging!
The bar was kept busy - and so it should at a mere £2.50 a bottle - sandwiches were acquired from Subway and the numbers multiplied for Ruth Lambert (see seperate post later.)
Finally, the evening drew to a close with Ex Extreme (pictured right) the band formerly known as Extreme Measures before the departure of leader David Carnegie to Barbados. Indeed a piece was dedicated to David appropriately entitled Barbados!
A day of unmitigated delight.
Lance

1 comment :

Stuart Shelvin (on Facebook) said...

Was a great day! And good to meet you there!

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