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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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

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

Thursday, September 05, 2013

CD Preview: Blue Touch Paper ‘Drawing Breath’

Release Date: 14 October Label: Provocateur Records
Colin Towns (Mask Orchestra): composer, keyboards; Mark Lockheart (Polar Bear, Loose Tubes) saxophones; Chris Montague (Troyka, Kit Downes) guitars; Benny Greb (Stoppok, Ron Spielman) drums; Stephan Maass  (Kruder & Dorfmeister, Randy Brecker) percussion & electronics; Edward Maclean (Peter Fox, Nils Wülker) bass.
Blue Touch Paper will be live at the Vortex on 24th February 2014 as part of a full UK tour (dates to be announced)
Two years in the making, with more that 60 demo tracks recorded, Drawing Breath is the highly anticipated follow up to Blue Touch Paper’s debut album ‘Stand Well Back’ – an album warmly received by the press and the subject of some stunning reviews. Continuing the Blue Touch Paper soundscape, Drawing Breath once again demonstrates an adventurous, visionary and powerful way forward, something we have come to expect from band-leader Colin Towns. Although the trademark cinematic moments, elements of jazz, rock and classical music are present as they were on ‘Stand Well Back’, Drawing Breath demonstrates a developing energy within the band, with powerful compositions that continue to push the band forward both technically and creatively. This is a remarkably textured album too, full of unexpected turns and contrasting moments of terrific energy and stillness that is quite breathtaking. With a nod to his work in the theatre (he has worked extensively with Royal Shakespeare Company’s Terry Hands), Towns has also produced an animated film that accompanies the track ‘Fair is Foul’, by animator Michael Tang based on the witches from Shakespeare’s Macbeth (see link below).
 “Towns’ music is a rich brew of Miles Davis-like funk, minimalistic energy and gleeful piano vamps” The Telegraph
“One of the most original jazz and crossover composers in Europe” The Guardian
“…catchy hooks, knotty rhythms and moodscapes…” Mojo
ABOUT COLIN TOWNS
Colin Towns is one of the UK’s most talented composers and musicians and is prolific not only in the world of jazz, but also that of film and TV composition. Vastly underrated in his home country, much of his work has taken him to Europe, where he enjoys enormous success. Best known in the UK as the composer for the highly successful Doc Martin TV series, his CV is a staggering list of achievements, from his early days in Gillan to his many film soundtracks (The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, The Puppet Masters, Essex Boys and the now cult soundtrack to Full Circle, aka The Haunting of Julia), soundtracks for TV drama and animation (Doc Martin, Ghostboat, Cold Blood, Half Broken Things, Our Friends in the North, Fungus the Bogeyman, The Crow Road) his projects with some of Europe’s most exciting big bands (the Hamburg based NDR Bigband; Frankfurt’s HR Bigband; The Bohuslän Big Band from Sweden and Orchestra Jazz della Sardegna) and his own Mask Orchestra with whom  he has recorded 6 albums not to mention commercials, theatre productions and documentaries.
LINKS:
Blue Touch Paper - Promo - 'Drawing Breath Moments'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC-4FCFQO_A
Blue Touch Paper – Animation for ‘Fair is Foul’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb57HMDT9Ss

www.bluetouchpaper.com
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