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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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, April 20, 2012

The Blue Jazz Quintet/Take it to The Bridge Jazz Workshop April 18.

(Review by Ann Alex.)
Karen Rann, Jeff Smith (saxes); Chris Finch (Keys); Dave Parker (double bass); Michael Howard (Drums, not the MP); Andria Moffatt (Vocal). Plus A.N.Other (vocal) 
The assembled souls were treated to an evening of delightful and varied jazz from the Blue Jazz Quintet. They opened up with a bebop standard, Ladybird, which featured solos from everyone (except the drummer), and swopping 4s between tenor and soprano saxes. Coltrane’s Impressions, included a 10 bar addition on piano, composed by Chris Finch. Clever stuff. 
A very atmospheric On Green Dolphin Street took us to a superb version of Willow Weep for Me which included a lyrical soprano sax solo from Karen and ended with some lovely bowed bass. Alice in Wonderland is a tune that I find amusing as it sounds nursery-rhymish, or is it just me having a second childhood?
If I Were a Bell was followed by Andria Moffatt, a student of the Sage jazz-singing class, who stepped up to the mike to give us a lovely strong-voiced version of I Got Rhythm. The performance ended well with Blue Monk, many solos, including Michael having a spirited drum work out and Dave Weisser joining in on flugelhorn at the end. 
This band are special friends of the singing class as they are ‘our’ band, who play for us during some of our sessions, and accompany us at our end of term gigs at the Jazz Café. But I swear to you that they gave a really enjoyable performance, honestly, it’s not because they are Just Friends
Dave Weisser leads this weekly session and also plays a mean flugelhorn. Tonight, Take it to the Bridge consisted of Dave on trumpet, flugelhorn and vocals along with bass guitar; drums; and keys. They opened and closed the night with several numbers including Born to be Blue, with vocal from Dave. And I really should know the names of the band (sorry!) because I got to sing with them and they were very cooperative to a singer who had never met them before, but this is what jazz-singing is all about, so it was a good experience. We did All of Me and It Don’t Mean a Thing, and people seemed to enjoy it. Then it was time to go, and I got soaked and had to walk through a flood at Chillingham Road Metro Station. 
As I said, this is what jazz-singing is all about! 
Ann Alex

2 comments :

Lance said...

Thanks Ann - sounds like it was a good night. As regards getting soaked - it's called paying your dues!

Dave Parker (on Facebook). said...

Ann says the nicest things

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