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Bebop Spoken There

Xhosa Cole: ''Monk was unapologetically himself". (Jazzwise, February 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

17744 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 64 of them this year alone and, so far, 64 this month (Jan. 26).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

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.

Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 12 noon-2:00pm (two sets). £12.00. admission (card or cash at the door). Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums). Note change of venue, no longer at Mrs M’s as advertised, the concert will be in the Old Library (Bishop Auckland Jazz’s regular venue). Important! It’s a ‘BYOB’ arrangement - ie bring your own booze (and/or tea, coffee, soft drinks).
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:00pm. ‘Klezmer, Gypsy Jazz, Balkan & More!’.
Fri 31: Nothing in Rambling @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £10.00. + bf. Country blues duo.
Fri 31 Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Wylam Institute. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. + £1.50. bf.
Fri 31: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £10.00 + bf. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.
Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00 Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 31: SwanNek + Rivkala @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. SwanNek’s new single launch gig. Pilgrim, formerly Hoochie Coochie.
Fri 31: King Bees @ Blues Underground; Nelson St., Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

February 2025

Sat 01: Alan Barnes & John Hallam with the Tom Kincaid Trio @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - Cy Coleman’s Witchcraft. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 01: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 01: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Western swing etc.

Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 02: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 02: Jive Aces @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Sun 02: John Pope + Andy Champion + Ian Paterson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Subterranean Explorations 1’. Three (half hour) solo bass sets.
Sun 02: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 03: Andy Watt & Dan Rogers @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance. Jazz, blues, folk etc.
Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 04: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.
Tue 04: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Phillips, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 04: Dilutey Juice + Life Aquatics Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. 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, June 15, 2013

This Sunday (June 16). The Toby Boalch Sextet.

This Sunday's Splinter gig at the Bridge, Newcastle features the exciting Birmingham based Toby Boalch Sextet. To give you an idea where they are at Zoe Gilby asked them a few questions to give the regulars (and hopefully others too) of what to expect. It looks good to me.
The Interview.:.
Toby, tell us a bit about your band. How it formed? band line up and their influences?
In my final year at college I was leading a trio that I was comfortable writing for and performing with, but when I graduated I wanted to compose for a greater variety of timbres and textures, which was primarily inspired by the composers Bob Brookmeyer and Booker Little. A dominant motivation for me to start writing music for this particular sextet lineup was that I knew the players who I wanted to combine, their individual sounds and musical strengths; this inspired the initial ideas that I had for the music. I had met all the band members while we were studying at Birmingham so we have actually known each other and been playing together in various formats during this formative period in our musical lives which I think gives us quite a special bond. I thought I knew how they would play and interpret this music that I wrote, but I was wrong! They have taken my compositions and transformed them beyond my expectations; although there is a great atmosphere in rehearsals, the time I smile the most is when they are bickering among themselves about how they feel the music should be! These guys care about the music and I think this comes across when we play.
(Chris Maddock, John Flemming (sax); Richard Foote (trombone); Toby Boalch (keys); Nick Jurd (bass); Jonathan Silk (dms).)

What has been the highlight of your bands musical career so far?
We have been lucky enough to receive both funding and performance opportunities from Jazzlines, the key jazz promoters in Birmingham led by Tony Dudley-Evans and Mary Wakelam Sloan, so we played some high-profile gigs early on in the bands career which was obviously great for exposure. However I would say that the music has developed since then and we played our best gig yet at “The Cross” in Moseley this March; thankfully Nick recorded the whole gig which is now on my Soundcloud page if anyone fancies listening!

Best gig you've seen?
Toby - Possibly Dave Douglas Quintet at CBSO Centre, the synergy and empathy between all the players was astounding and the compositions were beautiful.
Jonathan – Wayne Shorter Quartet at Symphony Hall Birmingham
Nick - A Cuong Vu workshop at Birmingham Conservatoire!
John – John Scofield Quartet at North Sea Jazz Fest
Chris -  Probably a double-bill concert at barbican I went to years ago: Michael Brecker Quindectet and Joe Lovano/Hank Jones quartet.
Richard - Probably Cuong Vu at the Yardbird

Favourite album?
Toby - Gnu High, Kenny Wheeler.
Jonathan – Chris Lightcap's Big Mouth
Nick - Photo finish between AKA J Yancey by Jay Dee and Mingus Ah Um
John - Miles Okazaki Mirrors
Chris - John Taylor Trio: Whirlpool
Richard - James Blake

If you could meet, talk with and jam with any musician (alive or deceased) who would it be?
Toby – Sonny Rollins
Jonathan – Bill McHenry
Nick - Photo I’d hang out with Lee Konitz
John – John Coltrane, to get roasted!
Chris – I would jam with Thelonious Monk

Richard – I’d spend a week shedding with John Coltrane.
Thank you guys,
Zoe.

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