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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 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

Monday, February 10, 2014

Dear Bix and other Emotive Music

Saw your nice comment  on Dear Bix in Hoagy review - thanks for thinking of me . I got my guitar out and ran through it as I've not sung it for ages but I could pretty much remember the words. Must revive it as you suggest. Like you, I think its a lovely, very moving song. I first come across it on a great album 'Getting some fun out of life' by Dave Frishberg.  And dear Richie Kamuca sings it on another album I have.
It's an interesting topic - the question of songs with moving lyrics plus nice melody. I think the best examples that we love are some of the nicest forms of music in existence. Not just Gasbook - there's Schubert (I think he maybe thought this too) and just last night on TV we listened to the Everly Brothers concert at the Albert Hall back in 1983 when they got back together. Phil recently passed away. I  found it extremely moving to say the least and some of their songs are absolute gems.
I Googled some of the Everly songs just out of curiosity and came across the song writing team of Felice & Boudleaux Bryant. They wrote some really beautiful songs - so simple but sometimes attaining simple beauty is quite an elusive thing. Perhaps more so in jazz with the tendency to technical prowess and virtuosity.  
I recently got a June Tabor album, do you know of her?  She's a folkie but works with jazz musicians. Particularly a great pianist Huw Warren. Well - on this album she sings I'll be Seeing You and it's exquisite. That's a moving song too if handled right. And another song The Writing of Tipperary tells the story of It’s a Long Way to Tipperary then ends up with it of course. It was written for a wager. Then all the soldiers started singing it and you know the rest. Also on YouTube check out her singing Lilli Marlene.  She is very intense. If she gets to Sage Gateshead again I might go to hear her. I think she's great.
Roly.

2 comments :

Lance said...

Listening to Richie's version of Dear Bix I note Dave Frishberg is on piano so is it deffo Richie doing the vocal?
Also on the same disc is a wonderful Johnny Mercer tune - Harlem Butterfly. Susannah McCorkle did a great version of this in a tribute to JM - The Quality of Mercer.

Roly said...

Yes I think that's Richie singing. He also sang Tis Autumn on his final album. I agree about Harlem Butterfly - a Mercer gem. Rebecca Kilgore sang it beautifully on the Maxine Sullivan tribute CD with Bobby Gordon we mentioned recently (its so good they put two takes on the CD). I think it was a song Maxine Sullivan liked to sing.
Roly

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