Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 2026

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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00. Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 13: Joe Steels @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 13: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Fri 13: Tom Remon & John Moriarty @ The Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, Sunderland SR1 3QJ. 7:00pm. £10.00 + £1.00 bf.

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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