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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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

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 27, 2013

Lindsay Hannon Plus @ Sage Gateshead. July 26.

Lindsay Hannon (vcl); James Harrison (pno); John Pope (bs); David Francis (dms).
(Review by Lance)
It was all happening at Sage Gateshead tonight. A flower show had taken over the main concourse area relegating Lindsay and co to the café area. Paradoxically, to my ears, the acoustics were better in this less cavernous space. Elsewhere, the remnants of a wedding reception floated about but in our improvised performance area another wedding took place - that of Words and Music.
Tom Waits' New Coat of Paint with it's boozy, painting the town lyric came over aces even though most of the band were drinking water (a million jazzmen are turning over in their graves!) Secret Love, Skylark - a beautiful, tender, rendition - Yip Harburg's Down With Love, The amazing lyric to Anais Mitchell's Old Fashioned Hat. . Anyone who wonders why Lindsay is the acknowledged  jazz vocal coach in the area need only listen to her phrasing and breath control on this most poetic of numbers. The Doors' I'm a Spy led into my favourite - Why Try To Change Me Now? A great tune and a great arrangement with it's change of tempo on the release. The set closed with Nature Boy.
Time to reflect on what had been and what was to come.
Lindsay is on fire tonight - no disputing. James and John simply brilliant - David making his debut with the band provided more plus points. On the minus side, the real ale left something to be desired.
Composed by Harold Arlen and recorded by Tony Bennett, So Long Big Time opened up the second innings followed by Joni Mitchell's Blue Motel Room. Lullaby of Birdland had some amusing exchanges between piano and voice before bass and drums left the "stage" for the piano/vocal duo take on What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life? Possibly the greatest musical chat-up line ever!
And so it went on - A bossa by Paul Simon and an unaccompanied intro to Blue Monk completed a magical evening that transcended the beer and the Quaylink bus driver who failed to stop!
Lance.

1 comment :

Kath Jobes said...

Hi Lance, I have already mad this comment on facebook, but thought last night's performance was the best yet... so I feel it only right that I wax lyrical:

I have seen the Lindsay Hannon Plus on several occasions and it just keeps getting better! The diversity of songs show Lindsay's tremendous talent as a singer. She has a unique ability to develop empathy with the audience in her delivery which sets her apart from other singers in the area. The band were superb last night, having seen both the pianist and bass player before, I knew it would be good, the drummer seemed to fit in really well, and as this was his first gig with the others I would say that too could only get better... he was talented and together they made a fabulous sound. I am really glad I made the effort... an evening of superb music, not to be missed... and if you did... your loss!

Kath Jobes

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