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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Sophie Speed with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ Longframlington Memorial Hall. 7:00pm (doors). Tickets: £12.00. from 01665 570984.
Fri 16: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 16: Peter Donegan & Anthony Donegan @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. ‘Lonnie Donegan - The Stories’.

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ 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

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Debra Milne Ensemble – Emptyshop HQ Durham November 22

Debra Milne (Vocal) Stevie Glendinning (Guitar) Paul Grainger (D. Bass) Rob Bates (Drums).
(Review by Kath Jobes).
A new venue for Jazz in Durham proved to be a little gem!  Parking was ‘fun’ on the steep and narrow Crossgate Peth just up from Framwellgate Bridge… and finding the venue could have been tricky had it not been for one  of the Musicians being outside for a ‘breath of fresh air’!  I was quickly ushered up the stairs and into an intimate and unpretentious bar area to meet up with a small group of musicians and friends who led me into a larger room, set up for a night of two and a half sets of entertaining Jazz…
The first set commenced with a Milne/Glendinning tribute to the greatly missed Keith Crombie in the form of The Jazz Café Song, quickly followed by a lively Devil May Care.  The next tune, Midnight Sun by Lionel Hampton, lyric by Johnny Mercer was new to the repertoire but beautifully sung by Debra Milne with a lovely instrumental interlude, followed by Horace Silver’s Pretty EyesDon’t Come Round Here Anymore exhibiting the versatility of Mr Paul Grainger on Double Bass with a most agreeable solo. I hesitate to say ‘nice’ … but it was! 
The next number, Equinox by John Coltrane,  began with a drum and double bass intro, joined by the skilful playing of Stevie Glendinning on Guitar, boy can that guy make it sing! A sprightly Billie’s Bounce celebrated the talents of this tight quartet, and the scat from Debra along with solos from Stevie and Paul were truly delightful; What was even more captivating was the seamless segue into the George Michael number – Faith.  An original by the Milne/Glendinning song writing duo – Stay… what a charming tune, with a superb solo from Stevie, supported as ever by the solid rhythm section.  The final number of this first set was more Horace Silver - Signor Blues.
The second set opened with an original (and beautiful) song, Show Me the Man. Miles Davis’ Four brought forth a grand set of 4’s including some scatting from the talented Debra and she excelled as she took on the Gershwin tune, It Ain’t Necessarily So. A cool Betty Carter number - Tight, progressed nicely into Just You, Just Me with a vocalize section written by Milne cleverly integrated into the tune.  Temptation was tremendous and the instrumental Stella by Starlight, simply stunning … what a tight unit this trio is!
A call went out to the audience, “any Jones’ in the house” and yes … there was Dan… so an amusing take on the song, Have you met (Miss) ‘Dan’ Jones resulted in a huge round of applause. Dusty Springfield’s Spooky was groovy as was the next number with words written by Debra to the Benny Golson tune - Killer Joe… and renamed ‘Relax’.  Another poignant original, Blame Game, was  followed by the ballad Save Your Love For Me. The set closed with Duke Ellington’s Caravan… after a debate about tempo… which made little difference - as we all know that as a Caravan goes downhill it gathers speed!
After a short break, the final short set was initiated by an instrumental,  Midnight Voyage and Debra re-joined the trio for How Insensitive and a sassy, It Don’t Mean a Thing to end… but the crowd, which had grown over the course of the evening were begging for more… so an encore followed… No More Blues… and yep there was no way anyone could be blue after that! 

Kath J.

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