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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 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

Friday, May 11, 2012

Howard Alden Quintet @ Bois(terous)dale. May 10.

Howard Alden (7 string gtr); Karen Sharp (ten); Simon Woolf (bs); Sebastian de Krom (dms); Jeanne Gies (vcl).
(Review by Lance).
One may be forgiven for thinking that the presence of one of the world's great jazz guitarists - a living legend - would have the audience sitting in hushed silence in awe of greatness. Fat chance! This is Boisdale where the volume of noise from the crowd makes the mob at Hoochie Coochie seem like a meeting of Whisperers' Anonymous!
Nevertheless, for those prepared to listen, and this includes  a charming couple - Leanne and Drew - whose acquaintance I was delighted to make (our views on jazz, the venue and the gig ran parallel), there was some great jazz played.
Opening up with I Hear a Rhapsody Karen Sharp took the first solo. Her rich full sound proved you don't have to be a man to blow masculine tenor! Karen ably carried on the tradition begun by Kathy Stobart and Barbara Thompson. Enter Alden with a solo that really should have been appreciated by more than the select few paying attention. This was George Van Eps, George Barnes, Bucky Pizzarelli  and, most of all Howard Alden.
Embraceable You once again showed off the wonderful Sharp sound - I think I'm in love! Alden of course was brilliant but Simon Woolf's bowed bass solo was, I think, the most melodic bass solo I've ever heard!
A swinging I'll Remember April culminated in an exciting round of fours.
So far so good.
Enter Jeanne Gies. Jeanne, an American singer of great originality put her stamp on Little White Lies, My Foolish Heart and On the Street Where You Live bringing the set to a close.
It was during the break I met the aforementioned Leanne and Drew and eventually joined their table prior to which I'd been kept amply supplied with Bombadier Bitter by barman Ernest. Thank you kind sir.
The second set began with a duo take on I Wanna Be Around by Alden and Ms. Gies which was superbly effective. Gies stayed on stage until the end of the set. Now with all due respect to the lady - she is an interesting singer - it meant less of Howard Alden and I'd made the trip out to Canary Wharf specially to hear him.
Perhaps it was, as suggested by my table companions, because he'd sensed the general indifference and decided to go down the cabaret road. Who knows? So, like the well known egg of the Curate, this gig was very good in parts but, as an audience, they (the audience) could have done better!
Lance.

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