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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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

Friday, November 01, 2013

When Swing Was King: Customs House, South Shields, Fri Oct 31

Cécile Mclorin Salvant (vocals); Matthias Seuffert sax/clt); Duke Heitger (tpt); Jean-Francois Bonnel (sax/clt); Keith Nichols (pno/vcl); ‘Spats’ Langham (gtr); Henry Lemaire (bs); Richard Pite (dms)
(Review by Ann Alex)
This was a wow of an eve of the popular Whitley Bay Classic Jazz Party gig which is being held this weekend across the river at the Village Inn near Shiremoor.  The theatre was near full to hear the band kick off swing numbers by the likes of Bunny Berigan (wonderful name) and Artie Shaw.  Broken Record featured singing by Nichols, with amusing repeated phrases as per the title, and the horns and trumpet wasting no time in getting into the 1920’s/30’s groove.  There followed much relaxed fun with Jelly Roll Blues and Mahogany Hall Stomp (Louis Armstrong) so naturally a skilled trumpet was featured for that one.  Other entertaining solos came from bass and guitar.
Enter Cécile, dressed in red with a black cloak over one shoulder, which neatly complemented the band who wore smart dark suits with just hints of red accessories such as ties.  And of course she wore her signature white-rimmed dark glasses, a striking figure, singing the only song she did in the first half - a taster of the delights to come.  This was a slow sad Billie Holiday number; Deep Song, feelingly done, and the performance reminded me of what was said in a previous review on BSH, that this singer has a huge range with strong soulful lower notes and tender sounds of sadness in her higher register.  The band then gave us Hop, Skip and, Jump with a lovely pause before the jump, showing the amusing fun displayed in music of this period, followed by The Man I Love, featuring clarinet, Someone’s Rocking My Dreamboat and Grabtown Grapple, with an excellent drum solo by Pite done on brushes with perfect timing and showmanship.
Cécile featured in most of the second half, beginning with I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me and the wonderfully assertive Baby I Don’t Cry Over You, a very appealing set of lyrics about a woman who merely goes out with other men and drinks cocktails if her boyfriend doesn't turn up!  If Dreams Come True had the band trading 4’s, and they shone again on their instrumental Shanghai Shuffle, lots of effective solos and an entertaining clicky sound from the bass.  Cécile sang for the rest of the concert, a gentle On The Sentimental Side; I’ve Got My Love To keep Me Warm; I’m Havin’ Myself A Time; Then she really went to town on What A Little Moonlight Can Do, obviously glorying in all the ‘oooh’ sounds which she drew out as long as she dared.  This was the nearest she came to a scat-like sound, though not really scat.  I liked her honest interpretations of the songs, the song came first, but her interpretations were her own.  The concert ended with the encore, Billie Holiday’s own Fine And Mellow, a blues with mellow solos from the trumpet and horns.
A great prelude to the Whitley Bay event.
Ann Alex  

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