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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17719 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 39 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Jan. 15).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session. TBC.

Thu 16: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 17: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 17: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 17: Joe Steels Trio w. Graham Hardy @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. (inc. a welcome drink & table reservation). Book at: www.drinks@thepele.co.uk. A ‘Jazz at the Pele’ promotion.
Fri 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 18: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 18: Alter Ego + Jamie Toms/Graham Don Duo @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 18: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Repas 7 by Night, West St., Berwick TD15 1AS. 7:30pm. Free. Album launch gig.
Sat 18: Delta Prophets @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 19: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. ‘Glenn Miller & the Rat Pack Era’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 19: Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 19: Nick Ross Orchestra @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Sun 19: Freight Train (Tobin/Noble/Clarvis) @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 21: ???

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

Saturday, November 02, 2013

Arun Ghosh Sextet @ Sage Gateshead. November 1

Arun Ghosh (clarinet), Zoe Rahman (piano), Chris Williams (alto saxophone), Liran Donin (double bass & electric bass), Nilesh Gulhane (tabla) & Pat Illingworth (drums)
(Review by Russell/Photo by Ken Drew.)
Clarinetist Arun Ghosh recently released his third album – A South Asian Suite – and to celebrate the occasion embarked on a tour with his sextet. The itinerary included a visit to Sage Gateshead. The Gem Arts promoted gig (with a little help from Jazz North East and Sage Gateshead) attracted a good number of folk – regular jazzers, world music fans, Sage patrons, in fact, anyone with an interest in great music. Ghosh, hailing from the north west of England, brought huge enthusiasm and brilliant musicianship to the party.
The sextet matched him every step of the way. The band’s rhythm section had it down from the first bar of Gypsies of Rajasthan: drummer Pat Illingworth (remembered for a commanding performance with the Spatial AKA Orchestra at Sage Gateshead) gave a master class alongside tabla maestro Nilesh Gulhane with bassist Liran Donin ‘s commitment to the project clearly evident. Tunes ranged from the elegant to the explosive. 
Virtuoso pianist Zoe Rahman is elegance personified. She never fails to captivate, communicating with band mates, picking up on the subtleties of Ghosh’s compositions with a knowing smile, reciprocated by Donin, altoist Chris Williams, Gulhane and Illingworth. Ghosh himself, immersed in the music, danced, cajoled and, quite simply, enjoyed the whole experience. His solo flights drew upon innumerable Asian influences – the music of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka – inspired by the fishermen of great rivers (River Song) to independence celebrations across the continent (Lal Qil’ah). 
Highlights were many, one such being an exquisite Rahman piano solo followed by After the Monsoon. The devotional Sufi Stomp (Soul of Sindh) really did stomp. In concert, one noticed the Ellingtonian voicings for clarinet and alto sax on intros, often as a prelude to fearsome blowing. Arun Ghosh may be the front man but he has put together a fine band, the group sound to the fore. The Gateshead audience demanded an encore and the self deprecating Ghosh said we would end with something from the ‘hippy dippy’ era. The Beatles’ (John Lennon) Tomorrow Never Knows sent us on our way…man.                       
Russell.
(PS: Photo by Ken Drew posted by kind permission of Sage Gateshead.)

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