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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

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Wayne Shorter 4tet /ACS @ Marseille Jazz Festival – July 23

ACS : Geri Allen (piano), Terri Lyne Carrington (drums), Esperanza Spalding (bass) 
WAYNE SHORTER 4TET:  Wayne Shorter (saxophone), Danilo Perez (piano), John Patitucci (bass), Brian Blade (drums).
(Review by JC)
After an entertaining (but hot) motorized meander through France, we arrived as planned at Marseille in time for Wayne Shorter’s appearance at the local jazz festival. Cooling down in an air-conditioned room overlooking the old port, the view from the window was very pleasant, even if there was no sign of a pork pie hat – neither Popeye Doyle’s nor the ‘Prez’.
Arriving at the venue by taxi, the Palais Longchamp had that quiet, understated elegance so typical of France, with a towering entrance of fountains, statues and pillars at least six stories high and curved staircases running up each side. We had expected something outdoors but not quite as grand as this and so had brought some bottles of water and bottles of wine. The smiling security at the gate were quite happy for us to bring in as much wine as we wanted but insisted that the tops were taken off all the bottles. When asked why, the mimed explanation was that they might be used as missiles (fair enough, but just imagine an open air gig in England where the audience would throw full bottles of alcohol at the stage).
Of course, we needn't have bothered bringing anything, as there were a variety of bars and stands selling every kind of food and drink. There was even an open-air silver service restaurant and champagne bar, unfortunately only available to VIPs, liggers and other hangers on. The concert area itself was more Glynebourne than Glastonbury with plenty of space for people to stretch out with chairs, tables and picnics. 
The gig was billed as a celebration of Wayne Shorter’s 80th birthday and the support band were identified as part of the process. This was the all-women jazz group of Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington and Esperanza Spalding, which I was looking forward to hearing. However, I found this set to be a disappointment, for although the three were clearly excellent musicians and soloed together in a complex manner, the music itself never really took off for me and a lot of the tunes sounded quite similar. Even the sound of the cicadas in the trees became a little repetitive and I don’t think that the continual clicking of the membranes in their abdomen is ever going to get them an ‘On the Outside ‘ gig, even in the insect jazz world.
So although the band seemed to be well received there were quite a lot of people around us lying flat out on the grass counting the stars or catching up on beauty sleep.
Another disadvantage of having a ‘support’ band was that it was now 11pm and still over 80 degrees, I could sense my accompanist getting a little fidgety and starting to dream of some shut eye in a nice cool bed.
However, I needn't have worried – the moment Wayne Shorter and the 4tet started playing everyone in the audience was gripped. This was exquisite music as each of the musicians listened closely to each other, sometimes joining in and adding something or else leaving spaces for their colleagues. For the first time I saw the value of having giant screens at a gig as the cameraman didn't just show a general view of the stage or an individual musician but focused in on the key board of the piano or Wayne Shorter’s hands on the keys of his saxophone so you could see musical ideas being worked out. Occasionally it focused on Shorter’s face, usually furrowed in concentration but occasionally giving a slight hint of a smile as he listened to some idea from one of the other band members. What he and the band played I don’t know but the music was beautiful and enthralling. A magical gig.
Fortunately, unlike the No. 27 bus, the Marseille metro was still running at one o'clock in the morning….
JC


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