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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

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, July 20, 2012

Pete Molinari, The Sage Summertyne Americana Festival

Pete Molinari (vocals, acoustic guitar, mouth organ)
I hope I have this artist’s name correct.  I missed the first song because I lingered too long, drinking the excellent wine at the Press Reception.  I entered to find a lone figure on stage, singing love songs in a high, haunting voice, accompanying himself with a gentle guitar sound and a rather Dylanesque mouth organ on some of the songs.  The support act is a difficult role to fulfil, as most of the audience are just waiting for the real action to begin.  This musician entertained us as well as he could with what I assume were his own songs, one about ‘Helene’; another stating ‘farewell to you my love’.  The singing and playing were competent and pleasant to listen to, but the lyrics were somewhat clunky, with some hackneyed phrases.  I guess this performer will develop further, with more experience.
Ann Alex  

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

Are you kidding mate? Develope further? I don't know which show you were at but Pete Molinari as support act to that main act was wrongly billed.
Perhaps do some more research and don't show your ingnorance.
Love songs usually are about a Girls name or saying farewell to someone. Not think that?
Also its always so lame when a write of any level can only mention a name from Popular Culture and liken them to it. Sounds like very lazy Journalism to me...to say the least.
Guess you don't know that Bob Dylans first 5 Albums sounds exactly like Woody Guthrie "Blowing his Harp and playing his Guitar" so he would have been "Guthriesque" but then I guess you haven't heard of him.

This piece sounds like a sixth form Student has written it but perhaps this writer will develope with more experience...

Ann Alex said...

To Anonymous
Thank you for the comments about my review. You obviously feel very strongly about this matter so I'm very surprised to receive your reply some 7 months after the review was posted. I wish that you had given your name. No, I wasn’t kidding as we take reviews very seriously at Bebop Spoken Here. We do this unpaid work because of an interest and love of music, mainly jazz.
I cannot really say anything much in reply to your complaints as it’s all so long ago, and there’s been so much blog activity since then. I can’t remember how the gig was billed in the Sage brochure. However, you may like to know that I’m an older woman who is well versed in folk music of all kinds, so of course I've heard of Woody Guthrie. I love good songwriting, for example the folk songs of the late Cyril Tawney, or current writers such as Pete Morton. Then there are the songs of the Great American Songbook from composers such as Cole Porter. Porter wrote about many facets of love, with great subtlety and wit, dealing with far more aspects of love than girls’ names and partings.
Ann Alexander (Full name).
PS: I’m quite flattered at being taken for a sixth former – thank you.

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