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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

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.
Sat 17: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Newcastle City Library. 9:00-10:00pm. Free. A 'Late Shows' event.

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.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

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, March 29, 2014

Ron Carter Trio @ Blue Note Jazz Club Milan. March 18.

Ron Carter (dbl bass); Donald Vega (piano); Anthony Wilson (gtr).
(Review by JC)
A brief trip to Milan is always nice but it was an added bonus to discover that there is now a top-notch jazz club in the city and even greater excitement to see that the legendary Ron Carter was playing on the night we were free. The club in Milan is a European offshoot of the legendary New York Blue Note and there are also two more clubs in Japan (why not?).
We decided to have a meal so went early before the jazz started. The house lights were full up when we arrived and it was clear that blue was the dominant colour. The walls were blue, the stage backdrop was blue and even the table tops were blue – not just blue notes, more all blues. The meal itself was not a patch on the Cherry Tree and twice as expensive. Although the waiter warned in advance that the pasta was 'al dente', I've chewed softer bricks. However, to be fair, after some extensive mastication, the dish was actually quite tasty. But the reason we, and everyone else, were there was for the music and by the time the lights were dimmed, the club was full.
The first thing to be said was that this was a stylish trio with Ron Carter leading the way in a very dapper double breasted suit and creases so fine you could sharpen pencils on them. They got straight down to business with Carter out front between the piano and the guitar. There is something great about hearing a group hit the spot from the first few notes and this trio certainly did that. As usual, I would have liked sub-titles for the announcements but it sounded as if the first piece was called Living Room either by or for Oscar Pettiford. The second piece called Candlelight was definitely written for Jim Hall and featured gorgeously lyrical playing by all three, but particularly Anthony Wilson on guitar.
The next piece was an unusual treatment of My Funny Valentine with Carter playing solid riffs under some spiky piano playing from Donald Vega. Ever up to the minute, Ron Carter then announced they were going to do/play/create a ‘Brazilian mashup’ and the second part of this mix was Wave with Carter soloing beautifully. A Fletcher Henderson tune followed with immaculate playing from all three, then Vega on piano changed tempo and embarked on a long solo in which there were invitations for all kinds of people to join in. I certainly heard the Saints go Marching in and Santa Claus Coming to Town. It sounded as if it was going to be a good party.
Then all too soon the session was over and the lights went up to reveal that blue was still the colour. Everyone seem to have had a good time listening to a superb trio but I still can’t get used to the idea that you then get kicked out so that the second ‘sitting’ can come in. Doesn’t seem right in a jazz club somehow.
JC

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