Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 2026)

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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

From This Moment On

June

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest TBC.
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Monday, May 05, 2014

Jeff Barnhart @ Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club May 3.

Jeff Barnhart (piano), Anne Barnhart (flute & vocals), John Hallam (ten/bar sax & clarinet), Nick Ward (drums)
(Review / photo by Ray)
Rather than stay at home & fret away our day worrying about the fate of the local football teams, we packed up our troubles & headed south for our monthly "jazz fix" with our friends at St Augustine's.
Entertainment was never likely to be in short supply with Mr Barnhart in town ....his musical knowledge & anecdotes together with his rather zany humour will always brighten your day - then there's that scintillating "stride" style which has you yearning for more...
"Support" today came threefold ...Mrs Barnhart (Anne) providing vocals & the magical notes of the flute; Monsieur Hallam as ever oozing class on reeds; & last but not least Nick Ward showing that classic jazz drumming brings an extra edge to the music we love so.
A swing number to start As Long as I Live led us to In the Middle of a Kiss before the pace upped with Mr Fine & Mr Dandy. Anne then serenaded us with Exactly Like You & Lady be Good with flute too.
The flute has for us been a fairly recent Jazz discovery ....apart from Anne only Amy Roberts (she of Chris Barber Band fame now but thankfully still a regular Jazz at the Spa visitor) has brought the flute to our Jazz world, yet it fits well, & gives a pleasant alternative sound.
I digress ...Just In Time, Irving Berlin's classic Blue Skies then the beautiful ballad A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square saw John at his best on sax. Time for a couple of stride solo's from Jeff ...Jelly Roll  Morton's Some Sweet Day & Pretty Baby before the Benny Goodman hit Stealing Apples took us to the break.
A Cakewalk rag started the second set, a blues in Oh my Babe before Gershwin's  S'Wonderful, then        
Dream a little Dream of me; Love me or Leave me; Burgundy Street Blues; I've got a Feeling I'm Falling.
Jeff reminded us that It don't mean a Thing if it ain't got that Swing before I got Rhythm closed the day to loud applause.
Personally I thought there were a few to many vocal numbers, with three such fine musicians my preference was to be able to appreciate their talents fully. However the audience seemed very happy - who am I to argue or quibble ?
A good crowd of 70+ today, Darlington's numbers are picking up nicely & little wonder with the calibre of musicians they bring to us - next up is Swing City on 5th July, a fine trio.

Ray R.
at

1 comment :

Patti (on F/b) said...

It was a great gig, indeed!

Monday, May 05, 2014 9:46:00 pm

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