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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 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

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

CD Review: Shane Cooper - Oscillations.

Shane Cooper (Bass); Bokani  Dyer (Keys); Reza Khota (Guitar); Kesivan Naidoo (Drums); Justin Bellairs (Alto); Buddy Wells (Tenor).
(Review by Steve H.)
One of the greatest gigs I ever attended was in the early 80's at the 100 Club in Oxford Street when the cream of exiled South African Jazz musicians, led on this night by Johnny Dyani and his band Witchdoctor’s Son, had the entire club on their feet dancing around the tables. Sadly much of that group  Chris McGregor on Piano, Dudu Pukwana on Saxophone and Dyani himself on bass are no longer with us all passing away far too young. We are lucky that legends from that era are still performing such as  Louis Moholo the drummer from Witchdoctor’s Son and the more internationally renowned Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim to name but three.
Shane Cooper is a highly accomplished young South African bass player arranger and composer so I was really looking forward to hearing the new South African Jazz.
The album kicks of with Broken Blues which begins as if were part of the soundtrack for a Star Trek movie but soon makes it’s mark with some fine sax solos and a lively piano solo by Dyer.  Destination Unknown is a muscular number  led by the Alto player  Bellairs containing quotes from A Love Supreme Dead Letters is as the title suggests a rather morbid piece heavily influenced by Jaco Pastorious one would imagine.  The next three numbers  Shadowplay, The Herdsman and Drop Down/Deconstruct   are Jazz Rock pieces much in the Weather Report vein. Oriah is a post Bebop offering and Big Sky is a quite a mournful ballad. The title piece Oscillations is a meandering complex piece with lots of interesting time changes. The album concludes with a  reprise  Dead Letters which showcase’s Cooper’s admirable Double Bass skills.
All the players on this album are extremely gifted  and the rhythm section really drives the sound. Cooper’s compositions are top notch but this album owes more to the Jazz fusion world then it does to the legacy of the great South African bands of the exiled apartheid era.
As a postscript to the aforementioned gig one of the lads out with us that night noticed that Witchdoctor’s Son were playing the 100 Club again a couple of weeks later but instead of telling his mates who had accompanied him to the initial gig he used it as an opportunity to impress a young lady. When we found out we were furious especially as he said the second gig was just as good  as the first one. I would like to say he got happily married to the person in question but the relationship didn't last much longer and 30 years later I am still bearing a grudge!
Shane Cooper's Oscillation is currently available from Home Grown Records.

Steve H.

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