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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 ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

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.

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

Friday, November 25, 2011

Claire Kelly Quartet – Hoochie Coochie, Nov. 24

Claire Kelly (vocal); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (bass); Adrian Tilbrook (drums).
This was a thoroughly enjoyable gig, and an illustration of the development of a skilled woman singer, a great singer who is growing in confidence with every performance. The only drawback was that the sound wasn’t quite as good as it should have been during the first set, which must have been frustrating for the band. It has happened in previous weeks so perhaps it should be looked into.
Songs included were: a very sensitive At Long Last Love; the ballad (or bollard as Claire called it in her amusing chat) Mr Ugly; I Concentrate on You; I Cried for You, with an exceptional guitar solo where Mark seemed to be playing two tunes simultaneously. I especially liked the song choice of Rhode Island is Famous for You, a song which was new to me, which lists the products which are obtained from various states in the USA. A geography lesson in fact, and the tune was written by Blossom Dearie, so I’m informed.
The second set began with a funky, beaty Jody Grind, with great solos from all three instruments. Then Claire had the World on a String, with scat. Then came a surprise, a pop song from the Arctic Monkeys, When the Sun Goes Down, a song about a prostitute which Claire did well as a jazz song. This singer isn’t afraid to experiment with material and it’s working out well. She does upbeat stuff really well, as shown by Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My baby. Claire followed up by singing Aqua De Beber in Portuguese. By contrast came Pagan Love Song, with a very fast sort of walking bass, more like a bass doing the marathon. This song is normally a waltz – I said Claire was adventurous!
The set ended with an excellent blues, Unlucky Woman, a powerful performance with wonderful blues guitar from Mark. I’d love Claire to do a whole gig of blues, as she told me that she knows lots of blue songs.
And it goes without saying that the musicians did plentiful, great solos. A good evening.
Photos.
Ann Alex

2 comments :

Russell said...

Sounds like a great gig. Wish I'd been there but I couldn't be in two places at once (I was at Blaydon Jazz Club's Xmas party featuring Frank Brooker). When is Claire's next gig?

Lance said...

Friday, December 9, 2011
Time7:00pm until 10:00pm
Description
Cuban Cigar Club's new Grainger Street store is opening its very own private members smoking club! It will be the only legal smoking lounge outside of London and will be operating a non-elitist policy for new members.
Claire Kelly and Mark Williams will be providing top class jazz entertainment from 7pm. They will also be alternating sets with the Andrew Kerensky Quartet.
This is a ticketed event so please contact Justin Clayton on 01914 474 270 or email him at info@cubancigarclub.co.uk for details.
An opportunity not to be missed.
(From Claire's Facebook page.)

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