Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington (National Trust), Cambo, Morpeth NE61 4AR. 12 noon & 2:00pm. Admission to site £19.00.
Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Archie Brown & Friends @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00-8:00pm. Free.

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

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Gateshead International Jazz Festival – some highlights

Every festival has highlights, and I’ve listed below some of my personal ones. I enjoyed all the top line acts that I saw, but it’s often the unexpected or quirky items that stay in your memory. Here goes, and in no particular order.
1/ I’d no sooner arrived at the concourse on Friday, than I was delighted to hear Zoe Gilby (vocals) and Andy Champion (bass) singing Leonard Cohen’s happiest song (and there aren’t many happy ones!), Dance Me To The End of Love, which is all about a Jewish wedding. It’s an interesting set of words with Biblical references and loads of vitality. Well chosen and sung, I hope Zoe and Andy never take this out of their repertoire.
2/ During the Marcus Roberts Trio performance, reviewed elsewhere, the band did an amazing version of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes, which was loads of fun. I even heard hints of the circus bands that I used to listen to as a child, but I’d had a drink by then, so maybe I imagined that.
3/ I dropped in on The Sharkestra, to see the young band really enjoying themselves. They’d obviously put loads of work into this project. But we all got to do our bit, joining in with rhythmical clapping and a riff to sing. Great stuff. It may be a good idea to reintroduce the jam sessions to the Jazz Lounge. I remember this from the jazz festival of a few years back.
4/ I was enjoying Jambone on the concourse on Sunday, then up rose some beautiful melodic singing from 5 young people, doing a song about loneliness (I think), with words such as Why must you stay alone?, accompanied quietly by the band. Definitely a moving moment. I’d love to know if this was their own project or maybe something they’d done with Andy Sheppard. Information please.
Then just to round things off, Jamie Cullum happened to be the subject on Desert Island Discs this week, which was on Sunday Morning. It was broadcast before a live audience in Bristol, and Jamie played and sang some of his choices. Catch it on BBC iplayer.
Ann Alex.

No comments :

Blog Archive