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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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

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 21, 2014

Jam Session @ Jazz Café May 20.

Peter Gilligan (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Paul Wight (drums) + Paul Edis (piano); Lindsay Hannon (vocal); Paul Gowland (alto); Stuart Finden (tenor); Fiona Finden (tenor/vocal); Kath Lowdon (vocal) + ?.
(Review by Lance)
A jam session (any jam session) is a many varied thing. One week no one turns up, another week maybe a few wannabees flexing their developing chops and some weeks the big hitters are in town.
Last night was just such a night at the Jazz Café!
The '3 P's in an ipod' that form the resident trio ie Messrs Gilligan, Grainger and Wight (mega fash. new haircut) got the groove going with the familiar and always hypnotic All Blues. The feel good factor was there. Laura, What's New? and other standards followed, Gilligan successfully coping with the piano's tonal idiosyncrasies - he may go down in history as the guy who found the lost chord!
Another P - Paul Edis - also searched for that elusive harmonic compilation whilst stunning us with an up tempo My Funny Valentine that was only twice the speed of light. Needless to say, this was no problem for Wight, nor a danger to Grainger who both hung on in there enjoying the ride.
Time for a song, time for Ms. Hannon. Mean to Me, lots of liberties with her phrasing that worked. Only Anita O'Day could have maybe bettered this version -  maybe. Solitude in 3 wasn't quite as show-stopping but You'd be so Nice to Come Home to certainly was. Helped along by Paul Gowland on alto (so many PGs in the room I half expected Peter Gabriel to walk in) Lindsay put her brand on this Porter masterpiece and Gowland rubber stamped it.
The altoist took centre stage for Ornithology and Autumn in New York and an exotic eastern flavoured piece that I only heard fragments of as I reached for the stars or to be more precise the 23rd floor toilet (exaggeration!)
Next up the Findens toting tenors for a blast on a swinger I vaguely recognised followed by Sister Sadie then a vocal by Fi.
More words by Kath Lowdon, incredible range, on Stormy Weather and some equally stormy alto from Gowland.
Waiting in the wings were Ray Burns, Debra Milne, Kath Jobes and several more but time and train wait for no one so it was adieu until June 3.
Lance. 

1 comment :

Russell said...

The boys went home on the A Train with Stuart 'Mind the Doors' Finden jumping on board in the nick of time (Finden, tenor, Gowland, alto).

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