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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

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.
Sat 17: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Newcastle City Library. 9:00-10:00pm. Free. A 'Late Shows' event.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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’.

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, August 19, 2013

Ruth Lambert Trio w. Graham Hardy @ Blaydon Jazz Club (Black Bull) August 18.


Ruth Lambert (vcl); Graham Hardy (tpt/flg); Mick Shoulder (bs); Giles Strong (gtr).
(Review by Lance).
A delightful vignette - it was almost like being in church the respectful silence that was shown during the numbers. Apart from occasional, tentative, rounds of applause after solos. the appreciation was withheld until the tune was over when right hand and left hand struck each other mightily and repetitively.
Ruth was in good voice tonight.
Let's Do It, Detour Ahead, You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To, Invitation,  I'm Old Fashioned, Bonnie Raitt's great blues number Love me Like a Man with Hardy plungering and growling like he was in 1930's Harlem and Goody Goody (1936 Ruth - Johnny Mercer and Matty Malneck) made for a strong first set.
We didn't win the raffle - but to hear such classy songs, sung and played so well, transcended bottles of wine and boxes of chocolates!
You and the Night and the Music opened up the second set followed by I Fall in Love Too Easily. A cracking song that well deserved Ruth's Chet Baker reference but, let's not forget that, it was Mr Sinatra who sang it first time round in the film Anchors Aweigh. Blue Skies was a gentle swinger and Teach Me Tonight just a great song.
Time for Mick Shoulder to grab a bit more of the limelight as he and Ruth did a vocal/bass version of I'm in the Mood For Love - it had Julie London written all over it. Great voice great double bass.
Next up my favourite bossa Agua De Beber. This one saw the dancing couple take to the floor and their stylish movements added a little something extra to the evening.
Willow Weep For Me, That Old Feeling, a sensitive Angel Eyes and then it was time to call it a Night and Day.
It was just lovely, Ruth's delicate air, not constricted by drums and piano simply floated. Hardy, very much in Chet mode tonight hit the lyrical valve - sure there were moments of passion but, overall, he was playing cool.
Shoulder's bass, the pivotal person in the band, was sound as a pound in  support and melodic and meaningful in his solos.
Giles Strong! What tasteful guitar solos! For one night he has escaped from The Bastille like confines of playing hot club rhythm guitar - a role, incidentally, he also performs brilliantly.
Very enjoyable.
Lance.

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