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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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

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.

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, May 28, 2014

CD Review: Tim Garland - Songs to the North Sky

Disc 1: Lighthouse. Tim Garland (tenor/soprano); Jason Rebello or John Turville or Geoffrey Keezer (piano); Asaf Sirkis (percussion);  Ant Law (guitar); Kevin Glasgow (elec. bass).
Disc 2: Songs to the North Sky. Garland (tenor/soprano); Sirkis (percussion); John Patitucci (double bass/Elec. bass); Neil Percy (tuned/classical percussion); Magdalena Filipczak (violin); Royal Northern Sinfonia Strings).
Tim Garland, long-time resident of a Whitley Bay lighthouse, former Composer-in-residence at Newcastle Uni and a collaborator with Sage Gateshead on many projects including Songs to the North Sky, has a strong affinity with the north east despite his Kentish Roots.
On disc 2, the saxophonist, composer, arranger, attempts to create soundscapes of the area 'twixt Tyne and Tweed and, by and large, succeeds. Aided by the Northern Sinfonia strings the 15 tracks take us on The Road Into Night, thru a Storm Over Kielder, to visualise Shapes Over Northumberland as well as allowing us (and Tim) the Freedom to Wander among other evocative settings.
On both tenor and soprano Garland probes and searches straying away from the A1 wondering where this side road, this cart track will lead him to. Perhaps a disused mine or a forgotten village inn serving nectar in a straight glass. Maybe a Lady of the Lake will offer to put him on the right road (or the wrong one). The unpredictable weather, the grandiose beauty of the Northumbrian landscape under a night sky, it's all here.
This is an important work that deserves to be judged, not just as jazz - which it undoubtedly is - but as a compositional triumph that transcends genre.
Disc 1 is more straightforward. This is his Lighthouse Trio with the addition of Law or Glasgow, on some tracks, and Rebello, Turville and Keezer sharing the piano duties throughout. Sirkis is present on both discs providing the required impetus with accuracy and precision.
There won't be many, if any, more compelling albums this year.
Lance.

3 comments :

Hugh said...

I am really looking forward to hearing this. John Fordham has given it 5 stars in the Graun http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/29/tim-garland-songs-to-the-north-sky-review-jazz

Hugh said...

Sorry about the spacing - it didn't look like that in my submission!

Did TG actually live in a lighthouse in Whitley Bay (this certainly seems to have entered popular mythology and may well be the case) or did he just record in the lighthouse?

Lance said...

I confess to taking the mythology route - I could be wrong!

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