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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

17641 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 915 of them this year alone and, so far, 60 this month (Dec. 26).

From This Moment On ...

December

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.

January 2025

Wed 01: ???

Thu 02: ???

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: John Gregory @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.

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, July 13, 2013

Iceni: EP Launch @ Nancy’s Bordello; Friday July 12

Lindsay Hannon (vocals, bass); Elizabeth Corney (vocals, keys); Caroline Roach (vocals, drums)
(Review by Ann Alex)
Forget about women singing love songs, this was something quite different, intelligent songs about life, with attitude, imagination, humour, all originals composed by the band, and very good musicianship. Not a jazz gig but well worth reviewing for the blog. The Iceni were apparently a Celtic tribe during Roman times, connected with Boadicea, and Lindsay had dressed for the part, flimsy pale dress and golden criss-cross sandals, plaited hair, a suggestion of the goddess, with a bass guitar instead of a lyre.  White fairy lights round the bass drum added to the atmosphere. The audience stood in front of the stage wowing the band on, knowing many of the songs. Good harmony singing, sometimes wonderfully dissonant, the keys illustrating the words, instrumental breaks, constantly repeated riffs such as ‘I’m scared of my own genius’, drums commenting, and a steady effective bass.
Best heard rather than described, so I’ll simply mention one song as an example.  Thief And Fool (it’s on the EP – in fact, not surprisingly, as this was the launch of the EP, they all were!) has Lindsay as the main voice singing about an abusive relationship from which the woman intends to escape, the keys reflecting the emotions with deep strong notes for strength, and a spoken chorus (chorus as in rock song, not jazz) ‘realistically he does it to be cruel’. A really enjoyable set and I intend to see them again, and congratulations to the band for keeping up the pace on such a warm evening.  A review of the EP is to follow.
I should mention that the evening began with a young band, Three Thousand Two Hundred Tigers, sorry don’t know their names, but there were two guitars, a female vocalist with loads of spirit, and a DJ with (I think) a small keyboard, drums and a cymbal.  Perhaps all DJ’s have this equipment as standard nowadays, I must learn more.  This band had an interesting sound and was well supported by the audience as well.
Download Iceni single Trail of Dead.
Ann Alex

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