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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

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

We Free Kings - Schmazz @ The Cluny. April 24

Toby Greenwood (tenor saxophone), Mark Chandler (trumpet & flugelhorn), Jamil Sheriff (keyboards), Richard Hammond (double bass) & Dave Walsh (drums).

(Review by Russell).
I made a bee line for Cluny 2, the Head of Steam’s subterranean annexe. We Free Kings were about to offer up gifts. Arriving in the nick of time, descending the staircase it was eerily quiet. I opened the door into pitch dark silence. Now I know Schmazz is struggling for funds but surely the gig hadn’t been cancelled at the eleventh hour? Perhaps such huge numbers had turned up to bade farewell to Schmazz that there was a last minute switch to the main venue upstairs. I wandered up to the main place and sure enough there was the regular band of Schmazz diehards. It wasn’t heaving it was just the regulars. An ‘admin error’ had listed the gig as being in the other space. So, it was to be service as usual – young, new, original, innovative and ‘interesting’. Well, well, well. What do know?
This was a jazz gig! Jazz at the Cluny! Surely not? We Free Kings, led by tenor player Toby Greenwood, played it mid-sixties Miles with occasional excursions; Blue Note, a fleeting sketch of a Rollins’ calypso, a fragment of Township jazz and a large measure of Dolphy (Funny Looking Fish). The quintet didn’t need to show off, they were cool, no blistering full on assault from these guys. This was the Paul Edis Sextet with an edge to it, just a little bit of attitude. Jamil Sheriff plays electric piano as it should be played; tone, volume and style spot-on. Greenwood’s frontline partner Mark Chandler was a revelation. He played a lot of flugel. He played it beautifully. Think Noel Dennis, Graham Hardy, Steve Waterman and you get an idea of where he’s at. The pairing of bassist Richard Hammond (commendably restrained) and drummer Dave Walsh (he’s a class act having been around the block a few times) were first class and very much part of the group sound. Greenwood’s tunes held the attention, frequently hinting at the oh so familiar, but then in a trice it was gone. Tree Frog, the gospel feel of A Child’s Place, Ten Tins, the aforementioned Funny Looking Fish and PPP were just some of the numbers from the pen of the talented tenor man. The latter tune had a tale to tell and Greenwood did so engagingly with no little mirth. PPP was otherwise known by the band as Pissed People Eating Pizza but recently has become known as Posh People Eating Pasties (much hilarity on stage that it should be ‘Parsties’). Wye aye man, a canny gig.
Russell.

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