Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

From This Moment On

June

Tue 16: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 16: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 18: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 19: Joe Steels Group @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 19: Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £14.33., £11.16., £8.00.
Fri 19: Martin Litton @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 (inc. bf); £6.50 (inc. bf); £15.00 on the door. Solo piano. CANCELLED!
Fri 19: Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Joe Webb support set.
Fri 19: Hot Club du Nord @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Jive Aces: The Roots of Rock & Roll @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf.

Sat 20: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer Festival, Corbridge. 5:00-6:00pm.
Sat 20: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 20: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Trinity Church, Gosforth, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. NCRO w. guests Dean Stockdale & Nick Ward.

Sun 21: From Lagos to Longbenton: Unity in the Community @ Sunderland Minster. From 1:30pm. Free. A multi-bill Unity in the Community event, inc. From Lagos to Longbenton.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio w. Graham Hardy.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 22: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Katherine Stone Quartet @ The Cherry Tree, Jesmond.

Katherine Stone (vcl); Dean Stockdale (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Steve Doyle (dms).
(Review by Lance.)
The singer, the band and the chef were on form tonight.
The trio kicked things off with Lady Be Good (or maybe that was just a soundcheck as they reprised it in the second set. It was good both times and I'd happily have reprised my starter - Craster crab salad, avocado, chicory and pomelo.
Ms Stone took to the stage and gave us a choice selection of tried and tested Gasbook fayre including Fly Me To The Moon, Sway, Let There be Love, I Get a Kick Out of You and My Baby Just Cares For me. The Nina Simone piece has long been a favourite of mine - it's timeless, or at least it would be if singers updated the lyric. It's 2013 and we're still singing about Liz Taylor, Lana Turner and Liberace! It wouldn't take the genius of a Cole Porter to update the lyric to something more topical. This isn't aimed at Katherine Stone, it's aimed at everyone who sings it!
The Way You Look Tonight done as a bossa nova, Get Happy, Blue Moon, I Wish You Love, Smile and They Can't Take That Away From me. rounded off the first set and was the perfect accompaniment to Pan Fried Sea Bass with Thai flavours and fragrant rice. My mouth is still watering at the memory.
During the break I indulged in an Eton Mess in a brandy snap cup. Shangri-la!
The trio returned for a Tatumesque All the Things You Are and the second bite at Lady Be Good. Stockdale is one fine pianist, Doyle's brushwork crisp and unobtrusive, Grainger, the unassuming player of the right notes in the right order, a tower of strength.
Katherine Stone returned for a slightly more contemporary set. It must have been contemporary because I didn't recognise all of them. Moondance, I Just Want to Make Love to You, Dindi were the ones I did identify along with I've Got You Under my Skin and Time to Hit the Road to Dreamland by which time it was time for me to catch the 33a and link up with the 27 which I did with a couple of minutes to spare. An enjoyable evening both artistically and gastronomically..
Lance.
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1 comment :

Brenda Jenki Sokell said...

I do alternative words for My Baby Just Cares for Me. For instance; George Clooney is not his style and even Julia Roberts Smile!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013 7:30:00 am

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