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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

Saturday, May 18, 2013

When in Shields Do as the Romans Do!!

For time immemorial I have spent Saturday afternoons in South Shields. The open air market is legendary, the charity shops many and the books and CDs I have picked up - with the exception of Miles' On The Corner - well worth the journey. Today however, it rained so I took shelter in a pub - Arbeias.
This used to be the British Legion Club where Charlie McKie A.K.A. Chic Cole - a talented but temperamental pianist - resided during the 1970's. It later became a glitzy disco bar the name of which I forget.  But now it's a bar et brasserie...
I'd read about it in the CAMRA magazine and was curious. As the name implies the theme was Roman. Busts of the Caesars Julius and Augustus abounded but not of the club band The Caesars who no doubt took centre stage back in the old days. The decor was distinctly art nouveau and I half expected to see Hercule Poirot emerge from behind an imitation Yukka. If he had done I'd have known the case he was on - find the missing customers! Despite the opulence, it was empty. A lady in black lace smiled appealingly and asked me if I was dining or merely drinking? I confessed to the latter sin and followed her to the bar where 7 hand-pulls, each with a sampler glass in front of them, beckoned me to try.
I groaned. I love real ale but this just wasn't the venue for them. A pint of Rivet Catcher took some pulling and wasn't wonderful. The Swedish Blonde (a beer) was better and I settled down to enjoy it on one of the plush seats.
Why am I telling you all this?
The sound system.
My ears were soothed with MJQ's Softly as in a Morning Sunrise, Brubeck's Blue Rondo, Cannonball's Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Rollins, various Blue Note tracks, Django, a Bixian band, Stan Getz' Quiet Nights. In fact the best pub muzak I've ever heard! To top it all the manager gave me a bottle of Bohemia Lager for free saying, "It's only one day past its sell by."
I wonder why the pub was empty? Was it the music, the beer or, hopefully, the rain?
Lance.

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