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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17719 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 39 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Jan. 15).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session. TBC.

Thu 16: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 17: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 17: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 17: Joe Steels Trio w. Graham Hardy @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. (inc. a welcome drink & table reservation). Book at: www.drinks@thepele.co.uk. A ‘Jazz at the Pele’ promotion.
Fri 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 18: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 18: Alter Ego + Jamie Toms/Graham Don Duo @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 18: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Repas 7 by Night, West St., Berwick TD15 1AS. 7:30pm. Free. Album launch gig.
Sat 18: Delta Prophets @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 19: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. ‘Glenn Miller & the Rat Pack Era’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 19: Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 19: Nick Ross Orchestra @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Sun 19: Freight Train (Tobin/Noble/Clarvis) @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 21: ???

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

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Beverley Beirne Quartet @ The Lit and Phil

Beverley Beirne (vcl); Graham Hearn (pno); Ian Mann (bs); Ronnie Bottomley (dms).
The band drove up from Leeds with 6,000 fans in their wake - sadly, they were football fans heading for St. James Park. None of them dropped off at the Lit and Phil. Nor, for that matter, did the scores of aspiring jazz singers from the north east drop in either. I'm not going to call them "Wannabees" because, if they really do want to be they should have been here tonight.
It was a masterclass in singing and if Leeds United had  played as well as this band and singer did they wouldn't have lost 2-0!
However, maybe those aspirants had better things to do than listen to a superb singer bewitching us with Beautiful Love, You and the Night and the Music, Nature Boy or You Made me Love You. This latter tune was written 100 years ago and Beverley sang it with no little movement of her hips. I swear the gentleman in the portrait on the wall behind her had a gleam in his eye - I know I did!
Something Good, Squeeze Me, Trouble is a Man - just voice and piano - was merely sensational. Cheek to Cheek was sensational plus. On drums, Ronnie Bottomley restricted himself to brushes and yet managed to swing more than a lot of the stickmen I've heard recently. For Mancini's  Slow Hot Winds he proved equally adept on mallets.
A knockout opening to the second set. Totally unaccompanied, Bev gave us a medley of When Your Smiling/Smile and Make Someone Happy with ne'er a quarter tone gang awry. Some singers can't even manage it with a band behind them!
The trio returned for a swinging Them There Eyes, Inchworm - a tune I can live without (apologies to Bev, Danny Kaye and Frank Loesser) I Didn't Know What Time it Was, Devil May Care, Walk On By, You're Looking at Me - a tune Bev picked up from Cleo - and I Only Have Eyes For You. I only caught a few bars of this as the 27 was due and it was imperative I beat the footy fans out of town.
It was a great gig - apologies for not mentioning piano and bass but they were absolutely the tops - the Eiffel Tower no less!
Lance.

3 comments :

Beverley Beirne (on F/b) said...

Thank you so much Lance Liddle for coming along to the gig tonight and for this fabulous live review! I'm really grateful and it was so lovely to meet you and what a superb venue and the folks there were so attentive. Hope to see you again sometime soon!

Anonymous said...

Lance from Ann Alex,
Sorry Sir but as an aspiring singer I had a good reason not to be at this gig. We singers have very wide tastes, and I for one was at the Sage to see a dramatic version of the folk ballad 'Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard'. I'd like to bet that Ms Beirne woiuld understand and it was unlucky that the 2 gigs clashed. I'll take the next chance I get to hear Ms Beirne.

Lance said...

Sorry I missed that one Ann!

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