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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ Three Sheets to the Wind, Alnwick. 5:15pm or 5:45pm (times tbc). Part of the Alnwick Story Festival's music fringe programme: Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Joseph O’Brien: The Ultimate Tribute to Frank Sinatra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. O’Brien & seven piece band (inc. Wendy Kirkland, Jim Corry & Pat Sprakes).
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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, January 20, 2012

A Tribute to Mike Gilby (take 2) Corner House, Newcastle.

ZOE GILBY TRIO: Zoe Gilby (vocals); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (bass).
JAZZ SPIRIT REVISITED: Graeme Wilson (saxes); Graham Hardy (trumpet & flugel horn); Stu Collingwood (keyboards); Andy Champion (bass); Scotty Adair (drums).
CUSTOMS HOUSE BIG BAND: Leader Peter Morgan.
Tonight was an outstanding tribute to Mike Gilby - a horn player I now feel that I really knew ; because there he was, on an easel, his trumpet playing portrait - see photo - giving us the feeling that Mike was in the line-up with each band, taking solos and still inspiring his fellow players to great heights of jazz improvisation. 
After assuring us that her dad ironically hated jazz singers, especially those who scat, Zoe opened with the beautifully timed, My Heart Belongs to Daddy and left us with Mike's absolute life's-for-living philosophy, suggesting in the words and music of Dave Frischberg that if you get too hung up on over-cautious health regimes, you may's well Forget about Living (you might as well be dead). She also reminded us that her dad was a prolific band arranger with his heavily stacked Rhomboid table of beautifully penned scores, but the hankies really came out for the song she sang by her daddy's dying bedside, a soft and smoky One for my Baby - what a way to go!  
Meanwhile Jazz Spirit Revisited didn't disappoint, with all ears and eyes especially on Graham Hardy's haunting solos on Mike's flugel horn given to him by Hilary (Gilby) - Mike was his teacher and mentor. Graeme Wilson's tenor gave us the bold spirit of Sid Warren, who's wife Frances was known to have quipped, "I hate these tunes that go on for a fortnight - listen, they've forgotten what they were playing!" 
Stu Collingwood and Andy C seemed even more inspired than usual in the jazz spirits of Tommy Weatherly and Bob Nixon - some stunning solo work, and of course the one surviving member, Mike's old friend Scotty Adair, gave the drum performance of a lifetime to hold it all together. Not sure about that story about Zoe sitting naked on his knee mind!
And so the Customs House Big Band moved the furniture for the finale and placed Mike behind the trombones - well he wouldn't want to be in front! We were told that Mike had joined the band 13 years ago bringing both his great musicianship and 'withering wit'. They opened with just such a witty Mike Gilby arrangement with his slightly adjusted title, Monkey Suckle Rose, which allegedly has connotations beyond my ken!? Further witty and clever Gilby arrangements of Stardust and My Foolish Heart followed with a perfectly rousing encore - High Maintenance. This was an uplifting performance with a special mention for solos from Jill Brett on alto sax. 
Then as the crowd - the place was absolutely packed - faded away, all but for the voice of the man in the pink jacket, Jazz North East with Paul Bream as MC, could feel proud of their putting together such a warm and well organised tribute to such a celebrated horn player and arranger. All musicians played for free and the money raised goes to R.N.L.I. (Royal National Lifeboat Institution).
George M    

         

2 comments :

Lance said...

Yes it was a good night - I'm sure it was appreciated by the family.

George Milburn said...

Just for the record: I've since been told that Graham Hardy was not a pupil of Mike's but it can be safely said that Mike Gilby was his mentor!

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