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Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17873 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 194 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (March 14).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Nicknames.
Thu 20: Terri Green Experience @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.90.
Thu 20: King Bees @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb blues band.
Thu 20: Lindsay Hannon Trio @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Hannon’s ‘Tom Waits for No Man’ set.
Thu 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Giles Strong Quartet @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 21: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Featuring special guest Martin Litton (piano).

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Swamp Stomp String Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Sat 22: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: The Great Deceivers @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Tom Atkinson & co play King Crimson (1969-1974). Atkinson (guitar); Josh Bentham (alto sax); Stu Dawson (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums).

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: Fred Wesley & the New JB’s @ The Cluny. 7:30pm (doors). £27.50. POSTPONED! New date Wednesday 26 November.

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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