Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ YOLO, Ponteland. 7:00pm. ‘Swing & Jazz Night’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 18: Joe Steels & Friends @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:30pm. Free (donations).

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! .
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

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

Saturday, February 18, 2012

CD Review - Paul Edis Sextet: There Will Be Time

Paul Edis (pno); Graham Hardy (tpt/flug); Graeme Wilson (ten); Chris Hibbard (tmb); Mick Shoulder (bs); Adam Sinclair (dms).
The Paul Edis Sextet are one of the more popular bands on the Splinter Circuit and, on the evidence of this CD, justifiably so.
Twelve original tracks - ten by Paul two by Graeme Wilson - that really are original and, as I've said before, some of these compositions should be in every band's library alongside Joyspring and Take The A Train. In actual fact, Wilson's strangely titled Hey There You Hosers has a distinct Joyspring feel to it. (What is a Hoser?)
The opening track, Administrate This, a rolling funk groove sees Graham Hardy growling like an Ellingtonian. Hardy is in fine form throughout on both trumpet and flugel horn. Vamp, a melodic, probing theme displays his rich full sound on the latter instrument - smooth as a glass of buttermilk. I Wish I Was a Monk is a catchy theme that could easily become a song. Paul plays a piano intro into the tune before some superb tenor from Wilson who takes it apart returning it to the composer who hands it over to Adam Sinclair. The ensemble take it out. I'll be humming this tune all day!
Angular, one of the band's.most played live pieces puts Hibbard into the spotlight with some great slide-work  until Wilson once again takes control. There Will Be Time. The title track is a dreamy, richly textured score that has Edis and bassman Shoulder exploring the harmonic structure. Hibbard is again given the opportunity to shine which he does beautifully. The trombonist also features on another moody piece - Elegy.
Edis' Blues For Dad - dedicated to Jerry Edis - has some classic blues piano and a Slam Stewart style hummed bass solo.
Sharp 9/8 is clever and brings Hardy back into the game the horn man stretching out over the unusual rhythm.
The front line all contribute to Revelation and Wilson, Hibbard and Hardy have a good blast on Wilson's Up Late.
The disc is peppered with Edis solos and we've had a lot of praise for Paul the Pianist lately but this is much more - Paul the Pianist, the Composer, the Arranger.
The disc is officially launched at the Lit and Phil on Friday March 2 - I hope he's prepared for a lot of sales!
.http://www.pauledis.co.uk/
Lance.

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