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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:15pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall, Stocksfield. 1:30pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm.
Sat 24: Dean Stockdale Quartet + Mingus Sings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums) + Mingus Sings: Sara Oschlag (vocals); Alan Barnes (reeds); Tim Lapthorn (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); Clark Tracey (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sat 24: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 24: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sat 24: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 24: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 25: Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion: Bandstand Sessions @ The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free. A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Spanish City Plaza (outdoor stage). 1:00pm. Free. A Whitley Bay Carnival event.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Catriona Bourne Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Bourne (harp), Francis Tulip (guitar), James Owston (double bass), Joe Bainbridge (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Struggle Buggy @ The Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 25: Joe Steels Group + Norma Winstone (vocals); Nikki Iles (piano); Mike Walker (guitar); Steve Watts (double bass). 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Steels (guitar); Ferg Kilsby (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Susans (double bass); John Hirst (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 25: Xhosa Cole/Neil Charles/Mark Sanders @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A JNE promotion. Note: Xhosa Cole replaces Nicole Mitchell.

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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