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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Fri 21: JazzMain @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. TBC.
Fri 21: Mark Toomey Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. An Opus 4 Jazz Club event. Note revised date - Fri. 21 not Fri 28. Also, quintet, not quartet.
Fri 21: Emma Rawicz w. Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Mississippi MacDonald @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Blues.
Sat 22: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm. £16.50. SOLD OUT!
Sat 22: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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

Friday, May 09, 2014

Triptych @ The Lit & Phil. May 9

Paul Edis (piano & clarinet), Paul Susans (double bass) & Rob Walker (drums/percussion)
(Review by Russell/Photos by Jerry).
Three jazz gigs at the Lit & Phil this week – Wednesday evening, Thursday evening and today’s lunch hour set – perhaps accounted for a relatively low turn-out to hear Triptych. The trio of Paul Edis (piano), Paul Susans (double bass) and drummer Rob Walker have, in a short space of time, got something going with this new line-up. The set list combined standards, traditional songs and contemporary composition. The trick is in the approach and the arrangements of once familiar tunes.
How High the Moon, familiar enough, began the one hour performance in relaxed style, the playing top notch. Middle England would, no doubt, rejoice at the prospect of Greensleeves and English Country Garden, at least until Triptych did their thing. Pianist Paul Edis gave these tunes a new twist; Bach-like, swinging sections, drummer Rob Walker seeking to sneak in a drum ‘n’ bass vibe, bassist Paul Susans suitably amused at the devilment of it all. Alice in One D Land (Edis claimed artistic licence!) and the classic Bacharach/David number Close to You featured superb playing by all three musicians. Edis’ Dark Ages rung the changes. Our premier pianist picked up his clarinet, Walker introduced the audience to his udu (a vessel with a hole in it, usually made of clay), unusual in itself, this particular African instrument was tuned to B (all the more unusual, apparently). The tune initially suggested a North African feel before moving into something to be heard in Eastern musics (Zakir Hussain and Trilok Gurtu would have got it). With clarinet having set the mood, Edis returned to the keyboard to further develop the piece. Unusual, one to be heard again.
Walker’s Mister Blister preceded Gavin Bryars’ challenging composition Jesus Blood and it was down to Walker’s fun arrangement of Honeysuckle Rose to close the concert in style. Fats’ stride classic went swing time, then drum ‘n’ bass, then this way, then that. Sight reading the twists and turns they got it right or so it seemed! Much applause, deservedly so.
Russell.

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