Total Pageviews

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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

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

Monday, February 18, 2013

Claire Kelly Trio @ The Bridge Sunday February 17.

Claire Kelly (vcl); Mark Williams (gtr); Neil Harland (bs).
(Review by Lance)
Not so long ago, Claire Kelly was the ingénue of our local larynx ladies. Not any more! Recent performances - and particularly tonight's - show that she can hold her head high in any company.
Looking stunning in a red gown, she, paradoxically, opened up with Born to be Blue. Despite the clash of colour it was a fine interpretation and with solos by Mark and Neil it set the mark for what was a most enjoyable evening.
Claire prides herself on choosing unlikely material, which can have its pitfalls although not on this occasion I'm pleased to report. New Clichés was new to me but performed superbly. More familiar ground with What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? with a sensitive guitar/vocal first chorus, my favourite Bossa - Aqua de Beber - Carmen McRae's Tiptoe Gently, an Arctic Monkey's number (honest!) and Everybody Wants to be a Cat.  
A pint of S.O.S went down well although there were no distress signals upstairs as the second set began with an up tempo Pagan Love Song - did they do it in 3? Can't remember now - must be the S.O.S. kicking in! Love, Blues Are Outta Town and a reference to a previous review on this site. Clare Fischer's Morning was a pleasant surprise. As a romantic gesture on Valentine's Day I drew attention to the inspiration behind the lyric. Fischer had lost his girl friend through her parent's disapproval and didn't get her back until 44 years later. It made for a great tune and lyric.
Mr. Ugly, done as a duet with Mark, is quite a poignant and touching song whilst No Moon At All, Claire told us, was inspired by her discovery that Mel Tormé had the edge on Michael Bublé - we've known that for years!
Keep on Waltzing, Out of Sight and Some of my Best Friends are Blues rounded off another splendid Splinter session.
Lance..

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

Everybody wants to be a cat was a little cheesy can't imagine the sensational Zoe Gilby going there.

Lance said...

So maybe - I am saying maybe - it had elements of the Gorgonzola - what's wrong with that? It's from an animated cartoon written by those great writers the Sherman Brothers.
Personally I thought Claire's performance was sensational just as was Zoe's the last time I heard her.
Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion but it carries more weight when they are prepared to back it up with their identity...

mark robertson said...

In 2010 Disney released a CD bearing the same name. The track listing incuded
Roy Hargrove,Esperanza,Spalding,Dave Brubeck and Joshua Redman.Seemed good enough for them and Louis Armsstong who recorded an album of Disney tunes in the 60's.Good enough for them good enough for me. You heard Jarrett play "wish upon a star?

Blog Archive