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

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.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: 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 21: Andrzej Baranek Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. £8.00. Andrzej Baranek (piano); Josh Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: David Gray Flextet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 21: Errol Linton & His Band + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Excellent blues double bill.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Gabriele Mit Drei Hoochie Coochie Thursday Dec. 29.

Gabriele Heller (vcl); Paul Beck (keys); Steve Glendinning (gtr); Dave Parker (bs).
 Another successful gig from this new band.  I hesitate to call them promising, because they’ve already fulfilled promises, with even more assurance than at their first gig a couple of months ago.  This time they faced the challenge of a noisy audience, especially from the back of the room, but they rose to the challenge well through sheer force of musicianship and the help of a kazoo!  Yes, in the fourth song (a Gabi original, Don’t Mess Around With Me) Gabi silenced the crowd at the back with an amazing jazz chorus on kazoo, and they made much less noise after that.  I suppose people are so used to hearing music as wallpaper nowadays that they don’t know when to really listen.
After a smooth instrumental to start, the songs that Gabi treated us to included All or Nothing at All (effectively beginning with bass and voice only); a sensitive Imagination; a stomping Old Devil Moon; Like Someone in Love (with scat, which I wouldn’t have expected in that song, but it worked.)  Later came a heartfelt Good Morning Heartache; and the more unexpected songs such as Falling in Love Again (in German with German (I think!) scat); the mathematical Inchworm; and a wonderful 8 bar blues, Come on in My Kitchen.
The band came up with lots of punchy solos, notably from Paul Beck on keys on Old Devil Moon, and a gutsy guitar on Come on in My Kitchen.
This gig had less of a cabaret feel than previous gigs, although Gabi was dressed for the part, with a long red coat and striped tights.  I’d have loved to hear a number such as Mack the Knife, but maybe the jazz cafe is a better setting for this style of song.
Here’s to the band’s next gig.
Ann Alex

1 comment :

stevebfc said...

Was dissapointed with the noise level of the audience which spoilt my enjoyment of the gig (not for the first time at this venue). Groups of people seemed to be actually shouting rather than whispering and the conversation of the table behind me was more suited to a Channel 4 student sit com than a sophisticated jazz gig.

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