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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.

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 + SH#RP Collective with Lindsay Hannon - open rehearsal.

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: Struggle Buggy @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
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: Boys of Brass @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
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.

Tue 06: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £14.00. Tel: 0191 237 3697. ‘Victory in Europe Afternoon Tea’ (VE Day 80th anniversary).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: FILM: Whiplash @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 8:15pm.

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

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Jason Isaacs Big Band "Swing Sensations" - City Hall, Newcastle, May 10.

Jason Isaacs (vocal/tenor) + Steve Norman (tenor/vocal); the Fenner Sisters (backing vocals); Dorothy Ellis (vocal); The Ambassadors of Swing.
Darren Irwin (trumpet/MD); Dave Hignett, Mark Webb (trumpets); Don Failey, Dave Brock, Alan Brady (trombones); Sue Ferris, Lewis Watson, Steve Blythe (reeds); Stuart Collingwood (piano); Neil Harland (bass); Rod Sinclair (guitar); Simon Ferry (drums).
(Review by Lance).
The Ambassadors of Swing put us In The Mood for the world's most athletic, on stage, performer - Jason Isaacs. The ten foot tall (or thereabouts) singer bounded on to the stage well inside the Olympic record for bounding on stages and he did it Side Ways!
The Lady is a Tramp was almost choreographed as some latecomers arrived, as if on cue, during the line She loves the theatre but never comes late. And who would come late for a show like this? The Best is Yet to Come and a chorus of Come Fly With me in Geordie (...And if ye cud use sum exotic booze then we'll gan doon to Whitley Bay) followed. Why Don't You Do Right? had our boy blowing tenor as well as singing. Let there be Love, I've Got You Under my Skin ( Nelson Riddle arrangement with the legendary trombone break) and a  belting Cheek to Cheek.
The band were superb, led by by trumpeter Darren Irwin, depping for Mick Donnelly who was on the road with Lisa Stansfield, they filled the, not always acoustically perfect, City Hall with the great big band sound that was once the norm in this much loved building.
Mr Bojangles, the B side of his new single, quite a poignant song put over well. The Fenner Sisters provided the Hi-de-His and Ho-de-Hos (along with the audience) on Minnie the Moocher.
Elvis' American Trilogy, always an emotive piece, preceded Me and my Shadow - a duet with Dorothy Ellis - before Mack the Knife and Bad Bad Leroy Brown brought the set to a close.
This show was just something else! Forget Bublé and the current crop of Rat Packers - Isaacs is the real deal.
Despite being annoyed that the bar staff had disposed of the BSH cards which I'd scattered around the tables and ledges, fortified by a (plastic) glass of Chardonnay, I returned to Row P ready for more goodies.
And goodies they were indeed!
It Don't Mean a Thing - the Fenners looked lovely doing the Do Wah Do Wahs but would have benefited from a tad more volume - Beyond the Sea, For Once in my Life and the A side of the single, Too Marvellous For Words, - you can download it for £1.29!
The band were let loose on Sweet Georgia Brown with Lewis Watson having a good blast, Jason and the Fens returned for That's Life. Jason blew on Jump Jive and then sang Hit The Road Jack. We certainly didn't!
Next guest was Spandau Ballet's saxman Steve Norman - You're Indestructible from the Spandau Ballet Songbook and a stirring sax duel between the two singers - honours even.
Invariably we had My Way and, of course, New York New York.
Start spreading the news the single's out today and it's just Too Marvellous for Words!...
Lance.

4 comments :

Jason Isaacs said...

Thanks for that lance . Very kind words . I know it's not a jazz gig so it's all the kinder of you. Thanks for coming. I love bebop spoken here! Keep up the great work .

Parsons Marketing said...

Echo all you've said here Lance and eloquently pu., Love the Saxman line too, will pass that on to Steve if you'd let me!

Mrs Isaacs said...

Couldn't have put it better myself - and lovely to meet you in person after all these years! You're on the guest list any time! X

Lance said...

By all means pass it on Mr Marketing...

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