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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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ Three Sheets to the Wind, Alnwick. 5:15pm or 5:45pm (times tbc). Part of the Alnwick Story Festival's music fringe programme: Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Joseph O’Brien: The Ultimate Tribute to Frank Sinatra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. O’Brien & seven piece band (inc. Wendy Kirkland, Jim Corry & Pat Sprakes).
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ 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, 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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