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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Only Six Standards.
Thu 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Fri 18: Alexia Gardner @ Fika Gallery, Oldgate, Morpeth NE61 1LT. 7:00pm. Trio (Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy).POSTPONED UNTIL JUNE

Fri 18: Sarah Jane Morris & Tony Remy: The Sisterhood @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00.

Sat 19: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 19: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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 19, 2013

CD Review: John Funkhouser - Still.

John Funkhouser (pno); Phil Sargent (gtr); Greg Loughmans (bs); Mike Connors (dms); Aubrey Johnson (voice).
(Review by Lance)
Funkhouser is well named! Not that this is a funk album but he displays all the qualities of a funkster i.e. drive, dancy (at times), rocky with a touch of Indian Raga to spice things up. 
Complex rhythms, deep soulful moments, rock and passion and sensitivity. He explores many genres but the jazz element is always there.
At times it's like a syncopated Czerny study whilst at other times it's a beautiful ballad with a tenderness totally in tune with his interpretation of Rodgers and Hart's My Romance. After Loughmans' bass solo, Funkhouser plays a beautiful solo that could have been by Bill Evans, but was very much his own.
Then there's The House of the Rising Sun. The melody's stated by Loughmans' bass then taken up by the pianist. It's a dark, introspective mood accentuated by Loughmans once more moving (just) out of the shadows. Although it's melancholic, it gradually builds up in intensity with a groove perpetuated by Connors. Alan Price might even have approved - maybe not!
I think Monk may have liked the take on Little Rootie Tootie which has nice guitar work by Sargent.
Leda has Aubrey Johnson using her voice wordlessly to create an atmospheric mood. Who was Leda? Was she a Greek goddess? I seem to think she was. In my youthful shipyard days (by the way Sting I'm available for technical advice) I worked on a boat called Leda - a passenger vessel on the North Shields-Bergen run. As the other boats of the line were Venus and Jupiter I guess Leda was part of their celestial clique - you really wanted to know that! What you do need to know is that Ms Johnson has vocal qualities that are worthy of a goddess! I don't know why I delayed reviewing this - the loss was all mine!
John Funkhouser - Still is available on Jazsyzygy Records.
Lance.
PS: I love the booklet statement "Unauthorised duplication is morally dubious at best, and may be hazardous to your Karma."
Well, I don't want anyone messing with my Karma so if you want to hear samples go to www.johnfunkhouser.com.
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1 comment :

John Funkhouser said...

Thanks for the great review!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013 11:03:00 pm

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