Total Pageviews

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.

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?

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

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

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Jazz Café Jam Session - April 15

Peter Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Paul Wight (dms) + Stuart Finden (ten); Fiona Finden (vcl); Ray Truscott (bs); Ian Forbes (dms); Josh Bentham (alt); Paul Skerritt (vcl); Paul Gowland (ten); Kath Jobes (vcl); Belinda Voshtina (vcl).
(Review by Lance/Photo of Fiona and Stuart Finden courtesy of Mike Tilley.)
The trio got things off to a good start with Horace Silver's St. Vitus Dance - a prequel to Sunday's Silver tribute session at the Bridge by Gilligan and co - book your seat now! I Fall in Love Too Easily, Alice in Wonderland and My Romance, taken at a most unromantic tempo, set the scene for the jammers waiting in the wings.
Stu Finden gave Hank Mobley's This I Dig of You a good "Work Out". Stu doesn't just play the instrument he gesticulates with it too - bell pointing at the ceiling or at the floor or at the next soloist. Bye Bye Blackbird kept the momentum going before Mrs Finden - Fiona - sang Secret Love and In a Sentimental Mood. The saxes and the singers were out in force tonight and next up was a relative newcomer, Josh Bentham. Josh, a young Teessider, blew alto on Doxy. Blowing a vintage King alto he managed to overcome the saxophonist's nightmare of a squeaky reed and impressed. The first time I heard Stan Getz at Newcastle City Hall with JATP he too squeaked throughout his set before going on to become one of the world's great sax players so keep an eye out for young Josh.
Josh stayed on stage for a couple of numbers by singer Paul Skerritt - Sway and Witchcraft. Paul is the star attraction at the Cherry Tree this coming Easter Monday so I suggest you book your table now.
More saxophone magic this time from Paul Gowland with Ray Truscott on six string bass guitar. Numbers included a Latin number the title of which I missed but Gowland was on fire, I'll Remember April with scintillating brush work from Wight, soon to be replaced by Ian Forbes, and Have You Met Miss Jones? This could have been sub-titled Have You Met Ms Jobes? Yes, the occasional BSH reviewer Kath Jobes sang Imagination which seemed to go down well with the cognoscenti.
More vocals, this time from Belinda Voshtina who sang Jobim's Agua de Beber - my favourite bossa. Belinda can be heard with Burundanga who are on at Hoochie on Good Friday. Just about a foretaste of everything tonight!
I'm sure there were more gems to onfold but Metro and 88 bus awaited...
Lance. 

No comments :

Blog Archive