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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.

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.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

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

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Zoe Gilby Trio @ The Jazz Café. August 15

Zoe Gilby (vocals), Mark Williams (guitar) & Andy Champion (double bass)
(Review by Russell)
The Jazz Café’s last night of the summer season until September and the place was busy. More than busy, the place was packed. And no wonder, Zoe Gilby was holding court. A gig or two in the West Country, hundreds of miles on the clock, then back home to fulfil an engagement at the Pink Lane establishment.
Lieber and Stoller, Brubeck, Bush (Kate not George) and a pad full of originals peppered the first set. Some Cats Know, Travelin’ Blues (West Country style), In the Warm Room, just a selection from a select set list. Gilby’s working relationship with guitarist Mark Williams and bassist Andy Champion goes back a good few years and it showed. Three of the very best musicians on the scene, appreciative of one another’s abilities, this was a joined-up performance that held the attention of the audience throughout the first set. The original material stood comparison with the familiar, the musicianship of the highest order. In It Together and Your Words heard Williams and Champion knock-out tremendous, on-the-money solos with Gilby’s lyrics, in particular her recall and delivery, quite something. Gilby possesses the stage craft to engage with all, a talent many a vocalist can but aspire to.
Second set offered more of the same top quality jazz. Paul Simon’s Graceland, a Gilby-Champion composition Eleanor, some Cole Porter (at a lick) and the noirish Midnight Bell with the enunciated lyric and Williams’ unsettling, fleetingly discordant solo. A swing-out number – Is It Me? – upped the mood with guitar and bass tearing it up. Red Headed Girl, dedicated to the original redhead, has a great title and line…Red Headed Girl from the North East of Nowhere. The closing number – Red City – featured Andy ‘Souk’ Champion’s evocative intro. Minarets, markets and merchants, the sights and sounds of North Africa. Williams embellished, Gilby sang of the joys of the Red City. This was another assured performance from Ms Gilby, we have come to expect nothing less.            
Russell.      

1 comment :

JC said...

Yes, great session with a brilliant trio. Each of them are fantastic musicians in their own ways and Zoe Gilby keeps flying the flag for her own improvising instrument of scat, which is great. As you say the originals are now a full part of the set and it seems there is a rich seam to be mined here with a song I think she said hadn't been recorded yet ('Secret Kiss'?). Up front in the Jazz Cafe is now the place to be for these gigs as it's like having the band playing in your own front room. Judging by the number of people who were trying to squeeze into this space at this session, it would be great if the listening area could be made bigger.

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