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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Sophie Speed with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ Longframlington Memorial Hall. 7:00pm (doors). Tickets: £12.00. from 01665 570984.
Fri 16: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 16: Peter Donegan & Anthony Donegan @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. ‘Lonnie Donegan - The Stories’.

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. 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

Monday, February 27, 2012

I Get a Kick Out of Ruth @ The Cherry Tree.

Ruth Lambert (vcl); Stuart Collingwood (pno); Neil Harland (bs); Paul Smith (dms).
Ruth decided she was Taking a Chance on Love which as we all know is a much bigger deal than taking a chance on Mushroom Fritters with Mozzarella, Pine Nuts, Roquet and Basil Oil. which is what I did. It worked out fine for both of us!
Whilst I was delighting in the piquancy of my starter Our Lady Ruth gave out with Dream a Little Dream of Me, What is This Thing Called Love and The Nearness of You. All done with the Lambert trademarks - the permanent smile you're sure is directed to you alone, the light falsetto swoops that tell you this is no mere mundane reading but an adventurous sortie which could end in disaster but doesn't. How could it with such a safety net as Messrs Collingwood, Harland and Smith?
My Confit of Pork, Lyonais Potatoes, Apple and Black Pudding arrived as Ruth went into that song from Black Orpheus which seems to have a thousand titles. This version was A Day in The Life of a Clown - one thing is sure - the Chef at the Cherry Tree is no clown! 
Blue Skies and Black Coffee for Ruth and a bottle of Black Sheep for me before it was time for Time After Time. Ruth and Neil - Voice and Bass - played the opening chorus before Stu took over for some exploratory piano playing. We have some great keyboard men in the north east and Stu is certainly up there with them. Likewise, on drums, Paul Smith too is in contention. Neil Harland? - Daddy Cool! 
Interval time and a chat with Ruth who informed me that the young guy, sitting with his dad and enjoying the music, had sung at the Jazz Café last night. One of the two singers mentioned by Kav who appeared after I left..(Pleased to meet you Rob - and your dad Chris.)
The second set began with Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby and S'Wonderful. Mine began with Pistachio, Almond and Apricot Tart and it too was S'Wonderful!
Fever, One Note Samba, It Had to Be You and Autumn Leaves - a request. Some years ago, I requested Ruth to sing Blue Champagne and I'm still waiting. This guy gets his request within 5 minutes! Mind you he was younger than me although I too was young(er) when I put my request in.
I Get a Kick Out of You wrapped it all up.
Nice one.
Lance.

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