Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
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: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

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

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Papanosh @ The Bridge July 27

Raphaël Quenehen (alto & soprano sax); Quentin Ghomari (trumpet, trombone); Sebastian Palis (accordion, keyboards); Thibault Cellier (bass); Jérémie Piazza (drums).
(Review by Steve H/Photo courtesy of Ken Drew).
The city of Newcastle has quite an affinity with French players, the local football team seems to be made up almost entirely of  French speakers. For the second time in almost as many weeks a band from across the water graced us with their presence and what a joy it was. The upstairs room at The Bridge was adequately filled but it should have been packed to the rafters for this wonderfully inventive and creative band.  
The upstairs room was bathed in sunshine as the first set kicked off with Chameau(Camel)  which had definite hints of the Miles Davis 70’s  electronic era about it. Next up was Icelandic inspired  Skatefulk  this piece was anything but cold starting with a rousing drum solo from Piazza and progressing with whistles and then simultaneous alto and soprano blowing from Quenehen not forgetting some funky electronic keyboard wizardry – fantastique. Fairly fittingly as we were after all above The Tyne the next song  was Aupres des douces eaux (Close to the Water ) this featured a dreamy trumpet solo from composer Ghomari and the entire piece really did evoke the feeling of the title. Baleze featured a machine gun like  drum solo from Piazza and the set concluded with a Mingus composition Peggy’s Blue Skylight this had everything including  Spanish vocals from Quenehen and much  hooting, tooting  and  hand clapping from all and sundry with a New Orleans feel thrown in. At the interval Quenehen presumably as breathless as everyone else mimed the  introductions to his fellow band members.
Set two began with Strawberry of K a film noir style alto solo which  gave way to a cacophony of sound which at times made it feel like there was a  big band   in the room. A marvellous organ solo from Palis performed on the electronic keyboard sounded like Jimmy Smith with knobs on so that the absence of his Hammond Organ was hardly missed (which sadly couldn’t make it up the stairs and the round the corner  to the top room ).  I couldn’t quite catch the name of the next song but it had almost a Procol Harum type keyboard feel to it until Palis decided to conduct the band using his entire body. As he swayed and gesticulated the band played to his every movement. What followed was even more remarkable as the metaphorical baton was passed  to audience member Chris Calver who concluded the piece with considerable aplomb (see photo.)
A terrific bass solo from Cellier introduced Mingus’s Reincarnation of a Lovebird and this also featured a triumphant tenor solo from Quenehen. A tribute to the late great Bass player Charlie Haden La Pasionaria  seemed heartfelt and was indeed quite emotional. The grand finale Gibril Circus evoked feelings of silent movies and the band looked as though they were enjoying themselves as much as the audience who broke into rapturous applause at the conclusion of Le Gig – C’est Magnifique.
The evening really had all in terms of musical styles (bebop , hard bop, funk, big band etc etc) but what made it so exciting was that they were performed in no particular order. You never knew what was going to be around the corner (apart from sadly the aforementioned trapped Hammond Organ) everything was  played with an enthusiasm  and ebullience that could not help but carry you away if only The Toon’s Frenchmen could emulate their Papanosh  compatriots then maybe the 47 year trophy drought could be ended.  
Steve H.

No comments :

Blog Archive