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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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
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: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

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. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. 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.

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

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

GIJF - Day 2: Northern Spirits. Ian Carr's Northumbrian Sketches; Lighthouse Trio; Tim Garland, Northern Sinfonia - Songs to the North Sky

(Review by Debra M.)
When the GIJF programme was issued some time ago, it was frustrating that the 2 gigs we most wanted to see clashed on the Saturday night… Birelli Lagrene vs Lighthouse Trio & Northern Sinfonia. Being democratic, & also trying to accommodate the teenager, we gave him the casting vote. Northern Spirits it was….
The first part of the programme was a performance of late north east trumpeter Ian Carr’s ‘Northumbrian Sketches’. Featured soloists were Henry Lowther on trumpet and flugelhorn, Tim Whitehead on soprano saxophone & bass clarinet, and Andy Champion on double bass, with Northern Sinfonia conducted by Clark Rundell. The four sections – Open Country, Interiors, Disjunctive Boogie, Spirit of Place – gave ample opportunity for the horn virtuosos, yet this was integrated effectively with the strings of the Sinfonia, many of whom appeared to be relishing the experience.
Following the break, we were then treated to a short set by the Lighthouse Trio, with Whitley Bay’s Tim Garland on saxophones, Gwilym Simcock on piano & Asaf Sirkis on percussion. Garland was clearly thrilled to be on home territory, and he & Simcock were engaging personalities. Garland first encountered Simcock as a student when he was teaching at the Royal Academy, and they have been playing together ever since. This was probably the favourite set for the jazzers  – outstanding musicianship from all 3, exciting and unpredictable, yet remaining accessible – so maybe they won over some of Northern Sinfonia’s fans in the audience.
And finally, Tim Garland’s ‘Songs To The North Sky’, a world premiere in which Lighthouse Trio and Northern Sinfonia combined. Garland introduced the work of 5 pieces, each in 2 sections & partly improvised, beginning with ‘The Road Into Night’ and ending with ‘Sage and Time’. There were so many textures and moods, and whilst the local influences of the Tyne, the sea and Northumberland may have been predictable, the music was not. An utterly compelling journey.  The Sage should get the The Lighthouse Trio back as soon as they can, and give them the full house they deserve.
Debra.

2 comments :

Nigel Tully said...

I completely agree - The Lighthiouse Trio deserve a full show of their own at The Sage. For me they are the mist stimulating and impressive small group on the jazz scene at the moment - every member of the trio a world-class virtuoso, and the fact that they have been eworking together for more than 10 years shows in an extraordinary degree of musical empathy. Wonderful music !

Stocksfield Jazzer said...

Thanks for this review, Debra. Due to circumstances beyond my control(as they say), I was unable to attend this gig.

I would reiterate your suggestion of a return visit from the Lighthouse trio ASAP. Their eponymous CD is a masterpiece. A recording of Songs to the North Sky must surely follow!

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