Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Fri 08: Alan Law Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Law, Mick Shoulder, John Bradford.
Fri 08: Giles Strong & Richard Herdman @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Guitar duo.
Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 6:00pm . Free. A Late Shows event.
Fri 08: Nigel Kennedy @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Line-up inc. Alec Dankworth.
Fri 08: Salty Dog @ Station East, Hills Street, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Sat 09: The Vieux Carré Hot 4 'Festival of Blossom' @ Seaton Delaval Hall National Trust. 12:30 - 3.00pm. Free event (admission applies).
Sat 09: SH#RP Collective w. Lindsay Hannon @ Church of Holy Name, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00 (inc. a welcome drink). Advance booking essential. Bring own snacks, drinks to be purchased at ‘donations’ bar. All proceeds to charity. A Jesmond Community Festival event.
Sat 09: East Coast Swing Band @ Jubilee Hall, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £10.00.

Sun 10: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 12 noon. Free. Note earlier start.
Sun 10: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 10: The Chet Set @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.
Sun 10: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.

Mon 11: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 12: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.

Friday, December 02, 2011

Get your kicks on Elkie 66! - Elkie Brooks @ The Sage, Gateshead.

Elkie Brooks (vcl); Stevie Jones (ten); Melvin Duffy (gtr); Brian Badham (bs); Andrew Murray (keys); Lee Noble (keys/perc/vcl); Michael Richardson (dms).
This was AWESOME!. It had been 30 years since I'd last heard Elkie live. What would she be like? Had the voice held out? Was she now a frail old lady of 66? Would anyone turn up?
They turned up - boy did they turn up! Hall One was packed up to the rafters - this seems to be the norm for this tour - Sold Out notices everywhere.
Deservedly so. The voice, like Lilac Wine, has matured, ripened with age.
Age? What's that? This chick looked younger now than she did all those years ago (at least from Row P she did!)
And the agility! Elkie strutted and moved like a teenager before giving out with that rusty nail edged voice.
The old faves were here, Lilac Wine, Pearl's a Singer, Sunshine After The Rain, Fool if you Think it's Over etc plus belters like Gasoline Alley, Nights in White Satin and tender moments such as Perry Como's first hit Till The End of Time. Elkie explained that it was number one the year she was born - 1945. I think Perry would have liked Elkie's version - maybe even been a little jealous! If Billie Holiday had been around today she may have sounded like Elkie!
There were also selections from her latest CD - Powerless.. (Xmas hint here...)
Our girl looked stunning. A diva style gown for the first set, and, let's face it, she's a diva's diva, contrasted with  the slinky black number (see CD cover) she wore for the second set. She looked good in both.
The band provided great backing with Stevie Jones blowing some outstanding jazz/rock tenor.
This was some gig - I fell in love with Elkie back in 1980 doggone it but here I am in love again with the same sweet you!
Lance.

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with every word written. Elkie is looking great and sounding great.Love her doing Freddie Kings "Tore Down" Her new "Powerless",cd is sooooo good. Her version of "To Make You Feel My Love" is just the best. I heard a French person say " if Elkie Brooks was French she be be made a national treasure" sounds good to me.

Blog Archive