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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:15pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall, Stocksfield. 1:30pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm.
Sat 24: Dean Stockdale Quartet + Mingus Sings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums) + Mingus Sings: Sara Oschlag (vocals); Alan Barnes (reeds); Tim Lapthorn (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); Clark Tracey (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sat 24: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 24: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sat 24: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 24: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 25: Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion: Bandstand Sessions @ The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free. A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Spanish City Plaza (outdoor stage). 1:00pm. Free. A Whitley Bay Carnival event.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Catriona Bourne Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Bourne (harp), Francis Tulip (guitar), James Owston (double bass), Joe Bainbridge (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Struggle Buggy @ The Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 25: Joe Steels Group + Norma Winstone (vocals); Nikki Iles (piano); Mike Walker (guitar); Steve Watts (double bass). 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Steels (guitar); Ferg Kilsby (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Susans (double bass); John Hirst (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 25: Xhosa Cole/Neil Charles/Mark Sanders @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A JNE promotion. Note: Xhosa Cole replaces Nicole Mitchell.

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, July 18, 2014

Stephanie Trick & Paolo Alderighi with the New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Caedmon Hall, Gateshead. July 17

(Review by Russell).
Dave Kerr, mastermind of the unique New Century Ragtime Orchestra, pulled off a coup in bringing to Tyneside not one but two virtuoso pianists. On a sultry summer’s evening his efforts were rewarded with the Caedmon Hall being full to capacity. 
A four hands piano jazz fiesta formed the centre piece of the programme. Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi played two, three and four-handed piano (at times it seemed that six, seven or eight hands were on the keyboard such was the dazzling playing). Trick from St Louis, Missouri and Alderighi from Milan, Italy, first met in Switzerland at a gathering of some of the finest exponents of classic jazz piano styles and some six years on are touring the world with their ragtime, stride and swing era show. To one side of the piano a tripod-mounted camera focused on the keyboard projecting real-time moving images to a screen above the stage. This proved to be an excellent idea allowing all in the hall to see the two pianists’ hands working in tandem, often at bewildering speed.
Temptation Rag, Just a Closer Walk with Thee, A Handful of Keys, all mesmerising. How did they do it? There it was, in front of our eyes, but, how did they do it? Amazing, plain and simple. Scott Joplin, James P Johnson to Erroll Garner. Alderighi in particular has an affinity with the swing era greats – Garner, Hines et al. Alderighi’s casual conversational style with the audience belied a cast-iron technique, exemplified by a solo take on Tiger Rag. The duo (a husband and wife pairing) played all eighty eight keys several thousand, no make that several million times, during the evening, frequently swopping seats, sitting to the left, then the right, standing, crossing hands, all done flawlessly. There was more…
Gershwin’s Liza, St Louis Blues (but of course!) and Exactly Like You.
One shouldn’t forget the band! The New Century were, variously, in the bar, in the bar and in the bar. To be fair, some did sit in the hall, enthralled. The orchestra opened and closed the show. The vocalists sang – Caroline Irwin, Steve Andrews and Jim McBriarty. Brass and reeds did their thing – trumpeters Graham Hardy and Alastair Lord on top form, Phil Rutherford too, the redoubtable Mr Don Fairley, stars all. Steve Doyle did a great job alongside the rhythm king Keith Stephen. Special mention of Neville Hartley – band pianist, no mean player in his own right, for once happy to play second fiddle and second trombone. Mention too of Alan Marshall, admirably depping in the reeds section.
The concert drew to a close with a rousing Limehouse Blues – orchestra, Trick and Alderighi. A memorable occasion.
Russell.
Stephanie Trick (piano), Paolo Alderighi (piano)
New Century Ragtime Orchestra: Neville Hartley (piano & trombone), Steve Andrews (tenor saxophone, clarinet & vocals), Jim McBriarty (alto saxophone, clarinet & vocals), Alan Marshall (tenor, alto & soprano saxophones, clarinet), Graham Hardy (trumpet), Alastair Lord (trumpet), Don Fairley (trombone), Keith Stephen (guitar & banjo), Phil Rutherford (sousaphone), Steve Doyle (drums) & Caroline Irwin (vocals)

2 comments :

Patti Durham said...

Yes, a great night music - top class piano playing from the two guests, plus ragtime, novelty dance numbers and swinging jazz from the band. Graham Hardy was outstanding as always, and Phil Rutherford keeps the rhythm steady and tight with that velvet toned sousa. Dave Kerr will be in need of a long holiday after all his hard work!

Unknown said...

A wonderful evening of Jazz. Two pianists performing what was almost impossible and of course the magnificent New Century Ragtime Orchestra. All courtesy of David Kerr.

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