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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

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.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
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: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ Three Sheets to the Wind, Alnwick. 5:15pm or 5:45pm (times tbc). Part of the Alnwick Story Festival's music fringe programme: Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Joseph O’Brien: The Ultimate Tribute to Frank Sinatra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. O’Brien & seven piece band (inc. Wendy Kirkland, Jim Corry & Pat Sprakes).
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 02: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £10.00. Day 3/3.
Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 02: Side Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Derwentwater Road, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Milne Glendinning Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 6:30pm.
Sun 02: Bella by Barlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 02: Ali Watson Quartet @ 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

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Jazz Café Jam June 3.

Peter Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Paul Wight (dms); Mark Williams (gtr) + Josh Bentham (alt); Paul Skerritt (vcl); Paul Gowland, Stuart Finden, (tenors); Fiona Finden (ten/vcl); Simon Stephenson (gtr)...
(Review by Lance).
Alice in Wonderland was an appropriate opener. I don't know if there were any Alices in the room but, if there were, they would indeed think they had stumbled into a parallel universe that was totally oblivious to the other Pink Lane activities. Gilligan, Grainger, Wight and Williams were sending out the message - come in and hear the truth. At this stage, not many had. Perhaps, like the aforementioned four, they'd gone to Scarborough Fair. This dreary olde English folk tune is not an immediately obvious choice but, in the hands of these guys, it morphed into a near jazz standard. Make Someone Happy? The whole room was happy as the sitters in stood at the bar or sat in the wings awaiting the call.
First sacrificial lamb to be offered up was altoist Josh Bentham. Young, very young, cool looking dude. Georgia on my Mind has well and truly stood the test of time since Hoagy wrote it in 1930 and Bentham's version didn't do it any harm. Nat Adderley's Work Song found the alto player in a more adventurous mood throwing in a few high register forays. Keep an eye out for this young man.
The third of four Pauls, Paul Skerritt, took control of the mic for Orange Coloured Sky and My Funny Valentine, the former a bouncy swinger, the latter  beginning softly then building up to a big finale before subsiding back to pianissimo. Crooning at its best. 
More Paul, Gowland this time, and an awesome I'll Remember April. Big solos all round and blistering fours 'twixt Williams, Wight and Gowland. In a Sentimental Mood brought the first set to a close.
The word must have spread or else one of those bus trips that bar owners prayer for had arrived as, suddenly, the room was crowded!
The second set had more tenor madness, this time from Stuart Finden who paid homage to Hank Mobley with This I Dig of You (?). Mrs Finden sang Stanley Turrentine's Sugar (not to be confused with the Peggy Lee classic) and picked up her tenor for Sister Sadie as Simon Stephenson plugged himself into the Fender Twin (or whatever guitar amp it was). Gilligan, incidentally, played Korg keyboard the house upright being terminally ill.
Enter John Rowland for All the Things You Are and There Will Never be Another You. Now the tenors were three.
Finally, from my point of view, Paul Gowland played You'd be so Nice to Come Home to which sent me on my way to the refurbished Central Station (Grand Central Station?) for Metro/88 bus coordinated journey home.
Well worth the trip.
Lance.

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