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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

GIJF – Day Two: Andrew McCormack & Jason Yarde with the Elysian String Quartet

Andrew McCormack (piano), Jason Yarde (alto & soprano saxophones), Emma Smith (violin), Jennymay Logan (violin), Charles Cross (viola) & Laura Moody (cello)
(Review by Russell)
Pianist Andrew McCormack and Jason Yarde (reeds) established their duo partnership some six years ago and subsequently visited Gateshead to perform at the Old Town Hall. This festival engagement previewed material written for a new CD project working with the Elysian String Quartet. Hall Two at Sage Gateshead regularly stages classical chamber music concerts and the intimate tiered space engaged musician and audience in an absorbing one hour set.

McCormack and Yarde introduced their compositions in an informative, informal manner, emphasising the collaborative element of jazz and contemporary  new music. The Elysians specialise in the field of  ‘experimental’ or ‘new’ music (they have worked with Polar Bear). Improvised sections notated in the score freed the string players from time to time as McCormack and Yarde, the natural improvisers, developed ideas. The composers – the jazz players – conducted with little more than a nod of the head. An enterprise such as this could only work – and it did – with exceptionally talented musicians being fully committed to it.
A feature of the performance was the musicians’ clear enjoyment in performing the music. Yarde created labyrinthine solos (alto and soprano), somehow finding his way out of the maze, McCormack and the Elysians with him all the way. McCormack’s compositions – typically percussive new-jazz/non-jazz repeated motifs – heard the Elysians immersed in dense note clusters, the tension released with a change of direction by, variously, one of the violins (Emma Smith and Jennymay Logan) or Charles Cross’ viola or the expressive cello playing of Laura Moody.
Jason Yarde, a born communicator, looked across the auditorium and asked: How about some audience participation? Yeah was the overwhelming response (it should be stated that some of us, the minority, do not go to jazz gigs to have a good time!) and it took the form of members of the audience calling out a note. D said one, G said another, E and so on. Then a number…9 (McCormack looked askance!), 2 said another. Okay said Yarde. The sextet would now create an instant composition based upon keys and time signatures as suggested by the audience! McCormack and Yarde would do it, no doubt about it. The Elysians? They too did it, consummate musicians all. How they did it is beyond mere mortals (McCormack would shortly return to the stage to play sensational swinging piano with Jean Toussaint – see LL’s review). Viola player Charles Cross was a late dep in the Elysians’ line-up. He read his part off the page. Top man Mr Cross! The McCormack-Yarde creative partnership would appear to have much mileage left in it. It will be interesting to see which direction they have taken the next time they park the tour bus at Sage Gateshead.

Russell.

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