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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 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

17957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 278 of them this year alone and, so far, 34 this month (April 14).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Fri 18: Alexia Gardner @ Fika Gallery, Oldgate, Morpeth NE61 1LT. 7:00pm. Trio (Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy).RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13

Fri 18: Sarah Jane Morris & Tony Remy: The Sisterhood @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. CANCELLED! 7:30pm (doors). £25.00.

Sat 19: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 19: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 21: Newcastle Record Fair @ Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. 10:00am. Going in search of the Buddy Bolden cylinder…
Mon 21: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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, June 29, 2014

Leash @ The Jazz Café. June 28

Mark Williams (guitar), Andy Champion (double bass) & Adrian Tilbrook (drums)
(Review by Russell/Photo courtesy of Mike Tilley)
One third Mark Williams Trio, one quarter Full Circle, three fifths ACV. Who would be taking who for a walk? Who’d be let off the leash? Would they be brought to heel? The Jazz Café did good business this Saturday night with those in the know, the curious and the unsuspecting. Most canines were on their best behaviour (save for one unruly bitch yapping incessantly in the corner).
Much of the material was familiar with a couple of originals handed out as treats to the largely well behaved gathering. St Thomas opened the show; with the thoroughbred trio taking a good look at Rollins’ signature number, Williams straining at the leash, ears pricked, slobbering over a pedal board. Bemsha Swing or, if you will, Bensham Swing (for the non-Tyneside resident Bensham is a suburb of Gateshead) let loose Williams in Saltwell Park (Bensham’s splendid Victorian park). With that look in his eye, the man from the Emerald Isle ran amok; he chased pigeons, worried the ducks, trampled across the flowerbeds and ran round and round Saltwell Towers chasing his tail. Woof! Woof! said Andy Champion. Adrian Tilbrook took a chance and let the bassist go charging after the out of sight Williams. Eventually the AWOL pair returned, tails wagging, to Master Tilbrook.
Oscar’s Mood (comp. Williams) once more featured the composer and Champion with a brace of stunning solos. Alfie’s Theme emerged as Champion slowly unfurled the melody. Williams added a trademark dark blues feel, Tilbrook the whipper-in. John Scofield is a constant in Williams’ guitar lexicon and the first set concluded with Stranger to the Light (Tilbrook all over the kit on this one).
A few late arrivals (one looking remarkably sprightly after a day trip to a brewery), a re-shuffle of the prime seats and things were set fair for the second set. The first set started with Sonny Rollins so why not start the second with Wayne Shorter? Yes or No? was the tune, Williams begged for a solo and once again  ran away with it. Champion introduced ‘a little thing’ – Book of Doubts – which, part of a suite, incorporated a blast from the past referencing fusion-era Full Circle. Tilbrook, a FC founding member, went to town on this one and in so doing put the yapping bitch in the doghouse. Cymbals, snare and hi-hat, the temptation to smack a paw on the oh-so-close noisy one must have been oh-so tempting! The audience got it, the doghouse one didn’t, remaining (blissfully?) oblivious. To slightly misquote Ronnie Scott: Are we playing too loudly for you, madam?
Broadway Blues did justice to Ornette Coleman. Big, big solos on this one. Scofield’s ballad Let’s Say We Did held the attention and the Crufts’ contenders went out on Eddie Harris’ Freedom Jazz Dance. The audience called for more but the Leash trio had no more to give. They retired to the bar for a well-earned drink of water.                   
Russell.

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