Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (DownBeat May, 2026)

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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

From This Moment On

May

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Thursday, August 07, 2014

CD Review: Topology & Trichotomy - Healthy.

Topology: John Babbage (sax/fl); Kylie Davidson (pno); Robert Davidson (bs); Bernard Hoey (vla); Christa Powell (vln).
Trichotomy: Sean Foran (pno); John Parker (perc); Pat Marchisella (bs).
What happens when you put two of Australia's most inventive bands together, one taking a completely fresh look at the classic jazz piano trio, the other reinventing chamber music? You get music like no other - music that sounds like right now, with infectious grooves and seductive melodies, taking the best from a plethora of influences.

TRICHOTOMY’S compelling, hugely dynamic trio music draws on sounds of avant-rock, ECM minimalism and their love of collective improvisation, in an entrancing Australian echo of the European jazz innovations of the likes of EST or Tord Gustavsen. Modern, imaginative & thoroughly inventive, this is a group in total control of their sound world. Having carved out a reputation as one of the most exciting trios in contemporary jazz, this Australian trio is a unique voice in modern music. 
TOPOLOGY is recognised as one of Australia’s leading new music groups. Their energetic, full-blooded sound continues to invigorate and reward listeners with it’s progessive approach to contemporary classical group. Combining Violin, Viola, Saxophone, Piano and Double Bass their music is restless and inventive.
“HEALTHY” is just that, the heathy combination of like musical minds. Consisting of a blend of works from composers in each ensemble the resulting album is simply breath-taking. Drummer John’s Parker’s dense rhythmic works “Healthy Lifestyle v3” and “Mean” are perfectly balanced with Saxophonist John Babbage’s alluring “Lost at Sea” and the textural “Generations”. TRICHOTOMY pianist Sean Foran contributes the graceful “A New Beginning” and the APRA Jazz Work of the year nominated, “That which is not fleeting”, a work which constantly surprises with it’s twist and turns. Topology Bassist Rob Davidson’sRound Roads” is a landscape of musical ideas, dense and complex yet filled with clarity of expression. To round off the album, an inventive arrangement of minimalist composer Steve Reich’s’ “Clapping Music”, only without the clapping.
One could compare it to the sounds minimalist sounds of Michael Nyman, Terry Riley and Steve Reich, with a touch of Astor Piazolla, and the modern jazz influences of  Pat Metheny. Wrap this up in the visual, cinematic style of Bernard Hermann and the Cinematic Orchestra and you’re getting close. One thing is a certainty, these influences combine to create a sound that is incomparable not only in Australia, but internationally.
Available August 11.

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