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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, 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

17972 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 293 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (April 22).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

Sat 26: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington. 12 noon. Free (donations).
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

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, May 10, 2013

Stravena @ Hoochie Coochie 8/5/13

Sarah Travena (sop sax/flute) Mark Williams (guitar) Alan Law (piano) John Pope (bass) Mark Robertson (Drums)
(Review by Ed Case)
A very well attended night at Hoochie Coochie kicked off with a flawless arrangement of No More Blues, Sarah's sop. sax making light work of the many changes and the rhythm section kept the piece firmly placed in Brasilia. 
How High the Moon was excellently handled by Sarah, floating over the band, ornamenting beautifully a loose interpretation of the melody rubato before kicking it into tempo with a three times tag. As if this wasn't pleasing enough the whole thing morphed into Ornithology half way through with Mark and Sarah taking an obviously well rehearsed dual head. (Sounds filthy!)
Angel Eyes was beautifully brought in with sax and guitar harmonising over a Dave Liebman composition, setting a precedent for Sarah’s sax to bring real thought to a very tenderly played piece. Mark Williams took up the B languidly, making as much of a statement with his use of dynamics as the notes he chose; as ever, improving and owning any tune he embarks on.
The whole band took a nice change of pace, heading towards a rolling, gospel feel for Joe Zawinul’s Country Preacher, its laid back Cannonball groove working very well in the context of the set and piqued the interest of even the non ‘jazz’ members of the audience.
All or Nothing at All fairly skipped along, the work of John Pope and Mark Robertson allowing Sarah to take a tasteful and brief solo to finish the first set. The band leaving the stage so quickly some of us thought they had split up...
But no, Alan Law opened the second set with a solo account of All the Things You Are, a nice defined ‘Oscary’ moment before the band joined into a medium swing over a dinky motif.  Mark’s solo playfully quoting from some equally well known pieces, all the time being fully supported by John’s bass playing. Some fours allowed Mark Robertson to come to the fore (no pun..), his sense of humour obvious even when its medium is wordless.
Chucho had some drunks - sorry, punters - dancing at the bar but they were at a loss as what to do over Donna Lee Ha! Not surprised, it was a fair clip.
The classic There Will Never be Another You’ was never allowed to descend into cliche, the band really proving that an accomplished group of musicians can bring a fresh feel to any tune, no matter how many times it’s been played. The solo’s taken by Sarah, Alan, Mark and John were kept consistently interesting not only by the sense of personality each brought but the rhythm section’s refusal to rest on their laurels, the pedal John wrought over the end of Mark's solo a particular high for me. And one member audibly shouting ‘8’s, 4’s, 2’s!’ over the rest of the band meant the fun was only starting.
They finished with a funk (don’t know what it was) giving Sarah a chance to break out her flute and for Mark to use some of the extensive effects he had with him. Shame the flute was only out for the one song but well worth it regardless.
I really hope this band continue in this vein, a hugely promising start to Sarah Travena as a saxophonist and leader. 
Ed Case

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