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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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ 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

Monday, March 25, 2013

Compassionate Dictatorship @ The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle.. March 24, 2013

Tori Freestone (tenor saxophone), Jez Franks (guitar), Dave Manington (double bass) & James Maddren (drums)
(Review by Russell)
Another freezing ‘spring’ evening. Will the big freeze ever end? Perhaps global warming has plunged us into twenty thousand years of sub-zero temperatures. Oh, well, the Bridge Hotel’s heating (30 centigrade) did the trick and the hard-core audience turned out to hear Compassionate Dictatorship. It comes to something when just about everyone is on first name terms!
As for the band, co-leaders Tori Freestone and Jez Franks hadn’t been up to Newcastle for a while, bassist Dave Manington’s CD Hullabaloo was reviewed recently in these pages by Debra Milne and first call drummer James Maddren has been to Tyneside so often of late that Honourary Geordie status could soon be conferred upon him! The frontline pairing of Franks (guitar) and Freestone (tenor) write the material and on this occasion the new CD Entertaining Tyrants provided the bulk of the tunes across two sets. Franks’ Ratios and Bubble and Squeak (named after drummer Tim Giles’ children – no, they’re not called that) opened the programme with a first solo for bassist Dave Manington on the latter number. Freestone’s The Chophouse (the name of a pub in Manchester) was written for trumpeter Neil Yates (soon to be heard at this year’s Gateshead International Jazz Festival) and further illustrated the band’s forte - a cohesive group sound, largely devoid of up-front soloing. The first set concluded with Franks’ Anger Management, a tune inspired by a saxophonist. I wonder who it could be? Freestone’s tenor was politely angry - a case of successful anger management!
The interval raffle was re-drawn as the winning ticket holder was thought to be downstairs at the bar (hard luck Bill!) and we cracked-on with the second set. Frank’s Mushroom Effect led to Freestone’s Pottering Around (name the influential tenor player…) which featured a Maddren drum solo. A Franks’ ballad - Sit Tight - confirmed the guitarist’s command of his Gibson. Universal 4, dedicated to the virtuoso vibraphonist Jim Hart (he counts in everything in 4/4 regardless of the time signature - good for a laugh!), ended an enjoyable evening. An encore was called for and Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now (arr. Freestone) captured the spirit.  
Russell.             

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