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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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

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: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
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.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

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

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

CD Review: Gwyneth Herbert:The Sea Cabinet

Gwyneth Herbert (vocals, piano, ukulele); Fiona Bevan (vocals, guitar, piano); Dave Price (percussion, strings, piano, programming, backing vocals); Al Cherry (guitar, backing vocals); Sam Burgess (bass, backing vocals); Harry Bird (guitar, clarinet, piano, strings, backing vocals); Christophe Capewell (fiddle, accordion, piano, melodica, backing vocals); Tom Allen (trumpets); Ollie Parfitt (Moog); Jack Carr, Alex Carr, Robert Harder (additional mob chorus); Will Mcvay (chain); Brian Herbert (gramophone operator)
(Review by Ann Alex)
This show was recently performed at the Sage (see Lance’s review), so it is interesting for me to compare the CD with the live performance. This is not a jazz CD, but rather a concept album, all about a woman collecting debris from the seashore which arouses memories from her life and experience.  The music has elements of folk, jazz, music hall, and pop.  It’s obvious from the musical instruments and effects listed above that the sounds are cleverly constructed, especially those portraying the sea, sounds of waves and underwater mystery.  The live performance had the added attraction of an effective light show with lots of blue and green.  The songs have a strong narrative element, exploring different aspects of the sea and seaside life. 
The Regal gives us the sound of an old-fashioned tea shop;  Alderney portrays the German invasion of the Channel Islands in WW2, jackboots and all, and a mournful cry of ‘Alderney, remember me’; there are the bells and echoes from the drowned village of Dunwich; a pirate song; a drunken song from a tavern; an exploration of the story of red-petticoated women frightening away soldiers; beautiful singing on the track about the Lorelei myth; The King’s Shilling, about soldiers and sailors being press-ganged.  Thirteen tracks in all. With the CD you are given lots of explanation of what the album is about, which was missing from the live show, which must surely have confused some of the audience.  But with the CD you don’t get the benefit of the light show, and some of the drama is missed, such as the voice of the woman herself, talking about the objects which stimulate her memories.  The general ‘feel’ of the piece is mostly light-hearted and sometimes funny, a portrayal of a lonely but optimistic woman.
Gwyneth Herbert wrote this work as part of an artistic residency with Aldeburgh Music, during a week spent living in a cottage in Suffolk, whilst nursing a broken heart, so the CD insert tells us, which seemed to fit with the mood of some of the songs.  An enjoyable and interesting piece of work.
Released on 15th July 2013 on Monkeywood Records (Monkeywood002) 
Ann Alex.

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