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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

17873 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 194 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (March 14).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: The Great Deceivers @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Tom Atkinson & co play King Crimson (1969-1974). Atkinson (guitar); Josh Bentham (alto sax); Stu Dawson (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums).

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: Fred Wesley & the New JB’s @ The Cluny. 7:30pm (doors). £27.50. POSTPONED! New date Wednesday 26 November.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
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.

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

Sunday, April 14, 2013

The Big Bash at the Black Swan.

Mo Scott (vcl); Paul Edis (pno)/Strictly Smokin' Big Band led by Michael Lamb/Hannabiell and Midnight Blue/Jenni Pascoe; Steve Urwin; Scott Tyrell (poets).Swing Tyne (dancers)/Serena Cee (dj).
(Review by Lance.)
The Black Swan Bar was doing good business, the amphitheatre of Newcastle Arts Centre was running out of chairs, the committee members of the Pink Lane Jazz Co-op were smiling  and Jenni Pascoe was poetically asking Who Am I?
This was the PLJC's Big Bash designed to raise funds and awareness of the group's efforts to re-open the Jazz Café. To this end, Dave Parker gave a progress report* before handing over to MC for the evening Big Joe Fowler.
.After Ms. Pascoe, Big Joe brought on Steve Urwin who is also a poet and, in fact, Pascoe's "other half". Urwin's contribution included a cleverly worded poem entitled The Bin Truck describing the contents of a Bin Truck - you couldn't get much further away from being compared to a Summer's day!
The poets having had their say - for the time being - Big Joe Fowler, who isn't a blues singer, introduced Mo Scott who is a blues singer.
Mo, in tandem with pianist Paul Edis, gave us a selection of blues tinged gassers opening up with that grammatical classic Is You Is or Is You Ain't my Baby? This was the first time the duo had performed in public together and it worked beautifully. Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You?, Come Rain or Come Shine, But Beautiful, Don't Explain just some of the numbers that saw the empathy grow between the two as the set unfolded. Edis also had a solo feature that ticked plenty boxes - Bill Evan's arrangement of My Foolish Heart.
On the dance floor a couple of Swing Tyne dancers moved gracefully to the music. This was one of those occasions when one art complemented another.
Another art returned with Scott Tyrell reading his poem about the Angel of the North. Tyrell isn't just a poet he's also a master of stand-up
Next up a scaled down version of the Strictly Smokin' Big Band. 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, 3 saxes, 4 rhythm, 1 vocalist.
The band really were smokin' - they were on fire! Even this minimal version exuded power. Leader Michael Lamb blew some fine trumpet and Alex Leathard excelled in his trombone feature, I Got Rhythm.Newcomer, altoist, Steve Summers (also heard yesterday with Saxophonics) came down front to solo on Do Nothing Till You Hear From me but suffered from inadequate amplification. What we did hear sounded good. A similar fate fell to tenorman Paul Gowland (also heard on Wednesday at the Star) with his dual tempo Body and Soul.
James Hedley sang Feeling Good, the Dean Martin classic, Ain't That a Kick in the Head? and Oasis' Wonderwall.
By now the dancers really were crowding the floor and the final band, Hannabiell and Midnight Blue gave them rhythm-a-plenty with Hannabiell playing conga and lustily blowing bass trombone. Paul Ruddick played alto and flute and Mick Wright was on guitar.
The perfect end to an exhausting evening!
Lance.
Kaveh Emami photos..
*To donate, volunteer or become a member of the Pink Lance Jazz Co-op go to www.pinklanejazz.co.uk.

3 comments :

Bruce said...

Thanks Lance. Glad you enjoyed it. Great evening! Bruce

Val (on F/b) said...

I'm glad it went well Lance, I came down with a nasty bug and could'nt go

Lance said...

It was superb and a great venue.

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