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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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

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

Monday, November 04, 2013

Preston-Glasgow-Lowe @ The Bridge Hotel. November 3

David Preston (guitar), Kevin Glasgow (electric bass) & Laurie Lowe (drums)
(Review by Russell)
Splinter at the Bridge booked a young trio, took a chance and were rewarded with a low turn out. Audience numbers are down just about everywhere but when it is a struggle to reach double figures at the door it begs the question: Why bother? Well, people bother because the music means a lot to them. The promoter - Splinter - will soldier on and the few regulars will continue to show up.
This week’s guests - David Preston, guitar, Kevin Glasgow (six string electric bass) and drummer Laurie Lowe - presented a programme of almost entirely original material and played it with commitment and the highest level of musicianship imaginable. Tyneside is home to tens of thousands of students (several hundred of them studying music) and they were nowhere to be seen. Well, it’s their loss. Hearing the trio would have inspired (or perhaps disheartened) them. These guys could play, big time!
The tunes owed much to seventies’ jazz fusion. The likes of McLaughlin, Clarke and Cobham would have run for cover had they called in to the Bridge for a pint. Preston’s four-fingered fret board work had to be seen (and heard) to be believed. Glasgow, no stranger to the Bridge, possesses amazing chops and Lowe must practice eight days a week! The standard was terrifying. Tunes featured extended solo flights - Preston’s Silvertide featured the composer who laid down a great solo. Everything, Everything (comp. Preston) hinted at lyricism until the fusion pulse took charge once more. Olivier Messiaen’s composition for choir - O Sacrum Convivium - rang out loud and clear in a re-voicing for the three piece. A big sound from a small band! The Priory (comp Glasgow) referenced architect Le Corbusier with Lowe constructing a mighty solo. Piercing guitar developed from a cracking riff on Preston’s CPU with his band mates right on the money. The trio’s closing number - The Anvil (named after the music venue) - ensured we went out on a high.
Russell.                                  

3 comments :

Robert Laing said...

Excellent summary. Disappointing crowd, not for the first time this year. Let us hope we can keep attracting first class musicians to the venue in spite of the apathy of some of the locals. Maybe someone could tell us what we have to do to attract a proportionate crowd to the skill and musicianship of the bands that come to Splinter @ The Bridge. All suggestions welcome.

stevebfc said...

I would have gone if there had been some form of reminder mechanism for informing me about the gig (Twitter,Facebook, Email)

Robert Laing said...

Reminder mechanism? The gig was advertised for weeks ahead on this very blog, plus there is a listing for Splinter in the left hand column of this page. There is a facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/splinterjazz/). There is also a website - http://splinterjazz.co.uk/wordpress/ and on either you can subscribe for news bulletins etc.

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