Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,066 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 930 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 31) 109.

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

November

Sat 07: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Ewan Bleach’s Cable Street Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington.
12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Superb band.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Find Your Pocket: Funk & Groove. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café, St James’ Retail Park, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 6:00pm.

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 11: Plague Doctors Cure All + Noonward @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: JANE @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 12: MoonMot + Jack Banjo’s Snackwall @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 12: Ratio: Swingin’ Through the Decades @ The Forum, Darlington. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. A charity fundraiser.
Thu 12: Look Left @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Thu 12: Michael Woods @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Acoustic blues.

Fri 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Giles Strong (guitar); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 13: Lapwing Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Richard Herdman, Jude Murphy, Paula Whitty.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Hexham Lantern Parade, Bandstand, Sele, Hexham. 6:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Sharp Collective @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm.
Fri 13: East Coast Swing Band @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 13: Guisborough Big Band @ Saltburn Golf Club. 7:30pm. Tickets: £15.00 (inc. pie & peas

Monday, January 02, 2012

Competition! A Free Pint of Ale from Lance - a rare opportunity!

The more observant of you will have noticed that the Christmas heading has gone and with it the old Art Blakey one.
The new header pictures a drummer, a saxophonist and a bass player.
A free pint of real ale - none of this foreign lager stuff or keg bitter - will be given to the first person to identify the sax player and the drummer. If you can also identify the bass player you get two pints as even I don't know who he is! (a copy of his passport and a DNA sample will be sufficient proof). The prize will be presented to the winner at the Bridge Hotel on Jan. 8 when Splinter return with a session by the Ruth Lambert Quintet.
Lance.

29 comments :

Anonymous said...

Is the bass player a young Eddie Gomez?
Roly

Robert Laing said...

Erskine, Brecker and Eddie Gomez?

Lance said...

As stated I don't know the bassist and it isn't Erskine and Brecker.

Anonymous said...

It's clearly a young Leon Britton on the sax and Donald Sutherland on the drums, but I don't recognise the bass player with no legs - is he one of the Zombies?

Lance said...

No!

Russell said...

Lew Tabakin with Mark Taylor (?) and Dill Katz (?).

Lance said...

No but Lew Tabackin was playing at the same festival with his wife Toshiko.
The band in the photo also included Curtis Fuller on trombone and Mose Allison on piano - the drummer was the leader.

Hil said...

Oh giz a chance Lance...lol...(poetry)

Now if it was a 'proper' picture we might have a chance of guessing who it was?

Lance said...

Well the man playing drums could be said to sound like a poet.

Lewis Watson said...

It is Michael Brecker with EddieGomez

and Steve Gadd

Lance said...

As I said I don't know who the bass player is - it was 30 years ago and he was a last minute choice.
However, it certainly isn't Gadd and Brecker.
The poetic drummer is the leader and the tenor player one of the early white boppers.

Russell said...

Got it! Lee Konitz and Paul Motian.

Lance said...

Nice try Russell but it isn't Poetry in Motian nor is it Lee Konitz.

Anonymous said...

Lance,
Presuming you're not doing a double bluff and its Art (William) Blake (y)again, then could it be Shelly (Manne) and Zoot Sims?
JC

Russell said...

This time I've got it...Buddy Rich and Art Pepper.

Lance said...

It ain't Rich it ain't Pepper, Russell you're going up the wrong alley.
JC you've got one out of three.

Anonymous said...

Can I claim half a pint, then?
JC

Lance said...

Depends upon whether or not someone else recognises both players.

Anonymous said...

How about Stan Getz for another half pint?
JC

Russell said...

Right then...it doesn't look like him - no hat - but is it Phil Woods? If so, I know the drummer - so mine's a pint.

Lance said...

Not Stan Getz - JC.
Russell, this guy plays tenor whereas you're picking guys who are predominantly alto players.
I must admit though that you're keen...

Lance said...

Final clue to the tenor player.
He sometimes dropped out of the scene (not because he was in jail)but because he had other interests.
He was still cool though.

Steve Andrews said...

Lucky Thompson?

Lance said...

Unlucky Thompson on this occasion Steve.
The guy was, arguably, the first white bop tenor player.

Steve Andrews said...

Alan Eager!

Lance said...

Well done Steve - IOU a pint!

Anonymous said...

Since you said winning the prize depended on recognising BOTH players, I say that they are Shelly Manne and Alan Eager and claim the pint!
JC

Lance said...

Well JC I will certainly buy you a pint when next I see you (unless, of course, the pub has a rear exit!)
Although technically speaking when Steve identified Allen Eager (correct spelling) you'd already hit on Shelly Manne and vice versa. However, I'm magnanimous enough to buy you both a pint as long as you don't turn up at the same time!

Steve Andrews said...

Thanks Lance! I can see that 2012 is going to be one hell of a year!

Blog Archive