Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 2026)

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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

From This Moment On

August

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 21: Andrzej Baranek Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. £8.00. Andrzej Baranek (piano); Josh Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: David Gray Flextet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 21: Errol Linton & His Band + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Excellent blues double bill.

Sat 22: Durham Alumni Big Band + Durham Alumni All Stars + Swing Manouche @ Darlington Market Place. From 1:00pm. Free. The All Stars (1:00pm); The Alumni (2:00-4:00pm); Swing Manouche (4:15pm).

Sun 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Royal Quays Marina, North Shields. 2:00-4:00pm. Free..
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free..
Sun 23: Blue Note Quintet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00..
Sun 23: Timmy Allan Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 24: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Sunday, May 06, 2012

James Taylor Quartet @ Hoochie Coochie

James Taylor (Hammond/vcl); Guitar, Bass, drums + Yvonne Yanney (vcl).
(Review by Lance).
This was an adrenalin pumping evening! James Taylor makes - say Wild Bill Davis or Bill Doggett - sound like the old lady who plays the organ in your parish church!
Mind you, whilst Wild Bill and his ilk painted much broader harmonic pictures than Taylor - whose stock in trade is excitement - they couldn't match him for aggressive, kick the door down power. He's more percussive than most drummers!
This was funky, soul fuelled - somebody said "Acid Jazz" - that placed his Hammond under ten times more pressure than even Mike Carr did - albeit without the finesse.
The packed room reacted, moving and shaking it all about - and I do mean all! Even I responded to the audience participation hand-clapping and the call and response moments he exhorted from the crowd raising my hands above my head as demanded. (I raised more than my hands as the 27 bus later edged its way through the Bigg Market revellers. Did I really see see six young ladies in bathing costumes on a cold 10:30pm evening?) I digress.
Getting back to Hoochie, it was earthy, it was rebel-rousing and it was quite wonderful providing you weren't looking for some soul-searching hidden meaning. WYSIWYG with James Taylor and few were complaining.
Yvonne Yanney (I think - I didn't catch the names) sang as if we were in the Motor City and guitar, bass and drums did the business. I suspect they may not all have been regular members of the quartet going by the instructions Taylor was giving from the keyboard. It didn't matter - it worked.
Repetitive? Of course it was. Tedious? - No way! My heart beat's just returning to normal an hour or more later...
Lance.

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