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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

17957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 278 of them this year alone and, so far, 34 this month (April 14).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.

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: 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

Monday, July 29, 2013

Jam Session @ The Bridge

Alan Law (pno); Jonathan Marriott (dms); Katie Trigger (bs); + Fiona Findon, Ann Alexander, Julija Jaicenaite Jolie (vcl); Paul Gowland (ten); Sarah Travena (sop); Chris Finch (pno); Simon Stephenson, Dan Stanley (gtr); Graham Archer (bs) - apologies if I've missed anyone!)
(Review by Lance).
This was the first of the Splinter Jam Sessions that I've attended - let's hope, as is rumoured, that it's not the last. The word is that, after the summer break, it will be back to booked bands.
So, if you enjoyed tonight - and the well attended upper room certainly did - savour it.
The evening began with the trio who were the lynch-pins of the whole affair playing St. Thomas. Anyone waiting to sit in knew they were in good hands.
First up to the plate was Fiona Findon who sang a hesitant Whisper Not but followed up with a cracking version of In a Sentimental Mood. Even without her tenor sax Fiona can put over a tune. Alan Law had a blast on this one that set the benchmark for the piano-men in the room!
Folkie turned jazzer Simon Stephenson gave us My Funny Valentine before exploding with Black Orpheus (or whatever name you call it by!).
Don Stanley's drink was Straight No Chaser - a neat performance - before mellowing out in a blues whose name I didn't catch.
An absolutely cracking first half - what was to come we wondered?
In my case it was a pint of Blonde Star - how prophetic was that choice?
With Chris Finch on piano, our own BSH correspondent Ann Alex, cast her journalistic hat aside for her subtly sweet vocal tiara. Bye Bye Blackbird and Secret Love were her chosen vehicles - she did us proud but, waiting in the wings, was Julija Jaicenaite Jolie....
Julija kicked ass! The blonde bombshell's  Angel Eyes was  absolutely amazing and with the band rocking their sox off it lifted the game to an astronomical level. Alright, OK, You Win and There Will Never be Another You brought the evening to a close and what an evening it had been. Special mention to the rhythm section and to Gowland and Travena who simply played as good as anyone I've ever heard in The Bridge at 9:55 pm on a Sunday night in July this year - or in any other month of any other year!
A JJJ gig would be good.for next season.
Photos.
Lance.

2 comments :

Brian (Banjo) Bennett said...

Hi, Lance!
Yes, that was a terrific jam session - and Miss J. J. Jolie was something else - what a jazz singer! Hadn't heard Paul G for several years but always thought he was light-years ahead of the rest - to use a boxing analogy, he could have been a contender - to my mind, tho, he's the champ!

Anonymous said...

JuliJa excited! Success! Your fans :)

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