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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! TO BE RESCHEDULED!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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, April 22, 2013

Red Stripe @ Boston Spa. April 20


Neil "Red" Drinkwater (Keys), Miss Smith (Vcl), John O'Neil (ten sax), Erica Clarke (bar sax), Brant Tills (tpt), Costa (bass gtr), Ed Williams(dms)
(Review by Ray Robson).
"Jazz at the Spa" summed up Red Stripe perfectly as "now for something different" ...not quite in the Monty Python style, but nevertheless a boogie woogie mix of jive, blues, swing & rock & roll. We'd seen these guys before at Lockerbie Jazz Fest, so we were prepared for the party they bring to town ....& boy, do they know how to party ! 
The intro said it all ...Red on keyboard with just drums & guitar backing playing a few quiet bars ..then the back of the hall doors burst open & the brass guys marched through the audience playing at full pitch. We moved on to Caldonia, Rhinestone Mermaid, You Got What You Asked For, Mr Dynamite. Then a little Rock & Roll with a marvelous Blueberry Hill & The Way You Look Tonight. 
The tempo does not slow with Red Stripe ....Bad Wine was followed up by the energetic Shake Shake Boom Boom before Red went all Italian in Renato Carosone's To Vuo Fa L'Americano. Jools Hollands signature tune of Enjoy Yourself followed ...we were too far gone not too by that point ! A blues Honky Tonk Train Blues gave way to the sultry Miss Smith singing Nina Simone's My Baby Just Cares For Me.
The break gave us all a chance to catch our breath, oil out throats & prepare for more......
Louis Prima's Buona Sera then an oh so lively Jump Jive had the girls up dancing in the aisles. Play Time Girl, Mini Bar Blues, Elvis' That's Alright, Route 66.....what next ? We went Latino, with a scintillating Tequilla which included a "conga" like march of all the band around the room while playing.....just time for the bands signature Red Stripe Boogie with audience singing before loud applause from the appreciative audience drew an encore of See You Later Alligator.
Red Stripe are a high octane energy sapping party band that blow you away....they don't just play great music, they thoroughly entertain everyone. Any chance you get to see them live - take it !
Well done yet again to the "Jazz at the Spa" crowd for another great night with a deserved full house.
If you've not been, make the trip any Saturday night ....see http://www.jazzinthespa.co.uk/ for gig list.
Ray Robson
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