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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:15pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall, Stocksfield. 1:30pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm.
Sat 24: Dean Stockdale Quartet + Mingus Sings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums) + Mingus Sings: Sara Oschlag (vocals); Alan Barnes (reeds); Tim Lapthorn (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); Clark Tracey (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sat 24: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 24: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sat 24: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 24: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. 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

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Millstone.

Fred Rowe (tpt.vcl); Barry Soulsby (clt/vcl); Laurence McBriarty (tmb); Brian Bennett (bjo/vcl); Brian Sibbald (bs); Fred Thompson (dms.vcl).
(Review by Lance.)
It was good to hear the VCJ again - it had been a while - and I'm pleased to say that the slings and arrow that are occasionally thrown their way have not affected their enthusiasm and indeed skill. They have never strayed away from the dictum that jazz is entertainment and entertain they certainly do.
As I bellied up to the bar to order a pint of Doom Bar Bitter - one of several real ales on offer - the band were looking back at the old Skiffle days with Worried Man Blues. Indeed with the recent drastic cuts in Arts Council Funding there must be a lot of worried men and women singing a worried song - let's hope they won't be worried long!
Fortunately, bands such as the VCJ aren't in the funding scuffle - their music is much too happy for that!
Fred Rowe sang of Miss Magnolia's Wedding Day, Fred Thompson crooned Buddy Bolden's Blues and I ordered a Cumberland Feast. This comprised; Cumberland Sausage, Fried Egg, Chips, Peas and a Boat of Gravy. 
Milenberg Joys, I Get The Blues When It Rains - Soulsby and Rowe doing the vocal - Rowe made like The Schnozz (Jimmy Durante - ask your ma!) on Inka, Dinka Do (They don't write them like that any more!) and I anticipated my Cumberland Feast.
The set finished with Soulsby singing Ace in the Hole and I licked my lips at the thought of my Cumberland Feast. I wondered if they'd had to send to Cumbria for it?
The barmaid approached - she had an apologetic look on her face.
There'd been a breakdown in communication and my order had been lost. However, it was now being processed (cooked) and would I like a drink on the house?
I said that I thought that a splendid idea and another pint of Doom Bar more than made up for the wait and I have to say that when the Feast did arrive it was as fine a piece of Cumberland Sausage that I have tasted outside of Cumbria. Full marks for food and customer relations.
Back on the bandstand Soulsby was singing Everybody Loves My Baby (was it Billy Harper or Eddie Thompson? who used to call it - Every Baby Loves My Body?), he then played Stranger on the Shore - it was a request, like The Saints, it always is!
Fred Thompson sang At The Jazz Band Ball - substituting his own words for Johnny Mercer's! They were ok. Barry and Fred sang Shine and Ann Alex remarked on how subversive the lyrics were!
I guess you have to treat them in the context of the time when the song was written (1910)
Fred Rowe sang I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover which he'd re-written as I'm Getting Over The Worst Hangover That I've Ever Had Before! Good Time Jazz - no other way to describe it and, although I've concentrated on the vocals the solos and the ensembles were first class.
A visit to The Millstone is worthwhile.
Lance.

1 comment :

Ann Alex said...

About those lyrics to 'Shine'. I hadn't noticed them before but I guess the song is highly ironic, and refers to the problems that black Americans had. For instance black musicians weren't allowed to play in certain venues under colour bar rules.
Anyway I thoroughly enjoyed this gig.
Ann Alex

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