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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington (National Trust), Cambo, Morpeth NE61 4AR. 12 noon & 2:00pm. Admission to site £19.00.
Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Archie Brown & Friends @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00-8:00pm. 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

Friday, April 12, 2013

Jazz Caff Refugees At The Star: April 10: The Budtones


Fiona Littlewood (vocals/tenor sax); Stuart Findon (tenor sax); Mike Papapavlou(guitar);
John Pope (bass); Eric Stutt (drums)
(Review by Ann Alex.)
The band made a good start with a long instrumental (The Message?) with everyone getting a chance to show their metal, tenors doing lovely harmonies together, bell-like guitar, 4’s from the drums, bass doing what basses do, then came Fiona with her second instrument, singing an expressive Straight No Chaser, not the easiest of songs, plenty room for band solos, and a strong ending when she repeated ‘now is the time, now is the time.  
All The Things You Are had the Charlie Parker introduction, I'm told, but unfortunately, during this number Stuart’s tenor became ill and went out of commission, probably a loose spring, so someone suggested to me.  Stuart had to use the other tenor, which must have disrupted the set list, but they still managed well, although the total sound was obviously less full than it would have been.  I suppose this happens to all bands at some time.
You Don't Know What Love Is opened gently with just voice, bass and cymbals, a lovely slow ballad, effective solos, then back to the cymbals at the end. 
Fiona stepped aside for the next number, or so it seemed, but popped back in for some scat singing and then a musical conversation with the sax.  A Stuart Findon original, Stu’s Blues,   (about the poorly sax?) pleasantly tricky, with a cracking drum solo. The final number was Dexter Gordon’s Cheesecake, complete with wolf whistles from guitar, sax solo and more from drums, and a final chorus from Fiona.  Well done, and a gig not without its challenges.
I think I'm finally starting to understand more about bebop and the differences between that and the earlier swing styles.  Bebop is more fragmented, choppy, stop and start but also with long angular themes and solos and I love the endings with drum rolls, tenor squawks, you’re not quite sure when it has ended, quite humorous.  I imagine everyone reading this knew this already, but it’s still relatively new to me, so please bear with me!
The Jam
Heather Jane (vocals); Jeff Smith (tenor sax); Paul Gowland (tenor sax) plus John, Eric, Mike as above.
Heather treated us to an atmospheric Round Midnight, sung well, with lots of space for band solos.  Heather hails from the Lindsay Hannon jazz singing class and she can also be heard at the Chillingham session on Wednesdays, definitely a woman to watch.  Heather followed this with a fast version of Autumn Leaves, with Mike providing falling leaf sort of sounds at the end.  An instrumental rounded off an enjoyable evening, Au Privave, played by guitar, tenor, bass and drums. 
Ann Alex    

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