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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17719 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 39 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Jan. 15).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session. TBC.

Thu 16: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 17: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 17: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 17: Joe Steels Trio w. Graham Hardy @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. (inc. a welcome drink & table reservation). Book at: www.drinks@thepele.co.uk. A ‘Jazz at the Pele’ promotion.
Fri 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 18: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 18: Alter Ego + Jamie Toms/Graham Don Duo @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 18: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Repas 7 by Night, West St., Berwick TD15 1AS. 7:30pm. Free. Album launch gig.
Sat 18: Delta Prophets @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 19: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. ‘Glenn Miller & the Rat Pack Era’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 19: Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 19: Nick Ross Orchestra @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Sun 19: Freight Train (Tobin/Noble/Clarvis) @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 21: ???

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

Monday, October 17, 2011

The Head of Steam. Sunday Oct. 16

The Bridge on a Sunday is a well established jazz gig - see LL's review of Zoe G's latest appearance  - and it was brought to my attention by LL himself that there was some late-night jazz going on down in the Head of Steam's basement bar. Well, having left the Bridge sometime after eleven, walking past the place I couldn't help but have a look in. Pianist Paul Taylor had long gone (see LL's piece) and the boys from NUJO were on the stand. 
NUJO? Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra - not the full band but plenty of them. They were cool twen-teen somethings. They all had beards except the piano player - she most certainly did not. Cool. Standing at the bar I ordered a pint. What was that tune? Ah, it sounded a bit like Tito Puente's Oye Como Va. The trumpet player (bearded) sat this one out. He sat on and in one of those deep, deep sofas you can only find in a cool place like this. He was cool, oblivious to all around him, fingering the valves and laying down the greatest solo of all time - in his head. I sat down next to him. I sat down, he sprung up. Cool. 
Jaco's The Chicken, in the pad of any self-respecting student band, caught my attention. The bass player kept it together as all around him grabbed a solo - alto, soprano, guitar, keys (no beard), trumpet. Cool. Soprano sax played My Favourite Things. Trane would have nodded his approval. Cool. 
The quality quotient rose considerably as Lindsay Hannon sat in. She called on guitar maestro Mark Williams (bearded) to join her on Georgia. Cool. Really cool. A bop work-out followed with everyone looking cool. Hannon gave way to Claire Kelly who told us she was Born on a Friday. A true statement? I know not. She was, however, most certainly cool. 
As I wandered off home sometime in the early hours I asked a student if this would be a regular gig. Maybe, he said. Cool.
Russell.   

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Great to hear that there's a late night jazz gig in town.
Just one scientific question:
Can a Head of Steam be cool?

JC

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