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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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

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. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! 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.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

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, August 01, 2012

CD Review: Spirits Up Above The Rahsaan Roland Kirk Anthology The Atlantic Years 1965-1976 Rahsaan Roland Kirk

(Review by Russell).
Spirits Up Above is a timely release. December 2012 marks the thirty fifth anniversary of the death of Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Rhino Records’ double CD surveys the Whistleman’s recorded output for the Atlantic record label over a thirteen year period up to the year before his untimely death. Studio cuts and in concert performances remind the listener of the constants in Kirk’s work; respect for the tradition (New Orleans to Ellington to Mingus to Coltrane), the church, the blues, swing, bop, excellent sidemen – especially the pianists. 

Key albums Here Comes the Whistleman, The Inflated Tear, Blacknuss, Volunteered Slavery and The Case of the Three-Sided Dream in Audio Color make for a cornucopia of riches. 
The selected sides serve as a good introduction to Kirk the instrumentalist; The Black and Crazy Blues, The Inflated Tear, Lovellevelliloqui, A Tribute to John Coltrane, Blacknuss and Portrait of Those Beautiful Ladies. To describe Kirk as a multi instrumentalist doesn’t tell half the story. On Something for Trane That Trane Could Have Said from the album Natural Black Inventions: Roots Strata Kirk plays tenor saxophone, manzello, stritch, clarinet, flute, Bb clarinet, Eb clarinet, pipes, harmonium, piccolo, bass drums, thundersheet, cymbal bells, music box, palms, timpani, gong and bird sounds! 
Swinging blues piano features across the twenty two tracks from first call players Lonnie Liston Smith, Jaki Byard, Ron Burton, Hank Jones (Do Nothin’ Till You Here From Me with old school tenor from Kirk) and Hilton Ruiz. Those fortunate to have heard Kirk live will tell you it was an unforgettable experience - Newcastle 1976 was one such occasion – and it is, perhaps, the in concert tracks on this new release that give the best indication of Kirk’s visceral stage presence and  performance. Kirk on vinyl is regularly on the turntable of this reviewer. Kirk on CD is the next best thing and Spirits Up Above on Rhino Records with liner notes by Kevin Le Gendre is released on Saturday 18th August. Heartily recommended.
Russell.                        

1 comment :

Lance said...

Russell, as one who is also fortunate to have heard
Roland Kirk live (in his pre Rahsaan days i.e. 1960s when he was unhampered by disability)I can concur that this man live was an incredible performer.
I heard him at one of the Durham colleges and, to this day, it is on my list of all time greatest concerts.

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