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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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

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, September 19, 2014

Alan Barnes & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. September 19

Alan Barnes (alto & baritone saxophones, clarinet) & Paul Edis (piano)
(Review by Russell/Photo by Ken Drew from the evening gig at Jazz Café).
Another full house. You Stepped Out of a Dream, I’m Old Fashioned, One Note Samba. Pianist Paul Edis invited reeds maestro Alan Barnes to travel ‘up north’ to play a couple of gigs. The first of them in the studio theatre at the Gala, Durham attracted yet another capacity audience…’What’s New?’ you might say.
The presence of Alan Barnes signalled a step change in the profile of musicians invited to perform at the monthly lunchtime session. The region’s finest have played fine sets at the venue, but a musician as well known as Alan Barnes indicates how successful the venture has become. 
From the start this was a swinging session. Edis at the Roland RD-300 and a wise-cracking Barnes alternating between alto, baritone and clarinet, strolled through the hour-long performance delighting the crowd with superb improvisations on standards and a couple of Edis’ compositions. Barnes introduced Edis’ For Bill telling the audience Bill Haley was the inspiration. The reedsman reached for his spectacles saying he would take the opportunity to plug his spectacles sponsor…the 99p shop! The one-liners never fail to make people laugh. Is there anything better than Barnes’ often self-deprecating jokes and the wonderful music produced by the musicians on the stand? The room afforded Barnes the opportunity to play acoustically – clarinet in homage to Bill Evans and again on Have You Met Miss Jones? Earlier AB opened on alto on Brown and Khan’s You Stepped Out of a Dream then switched to baritone on I’m Old Fashioned (Kern and Mercer). Barnes told a tale of confusion between a baritone and bass saxophone, adding that Bruce Adams once suggested it was: The same old crap, just an octave lower.
Edis suggested they play Moonglow. Barnes suggested Edis play the first chorus. What a treat! The melody, stride piano, fabulous interplay. Another Edis composition – Lines – found Barnes reaching once again for his specs. This one’s difficult he said, showing the sheet music to the audience. It did look a little complicated. AB said it looked like ripped out knitting or a cross section of black pudding! Needless to say he (and Edis) played it superbly. Highlights were many, not least Wes Montgomery’s West Coast Blues (Barnes on alto) and, of course, the one-liners.
You can hear Edis and Barnes again tonight at the Jazz Café on Pink Lane in Newcastle. They will be working with the excellent bass and drums pairing of Paul Susans and Rob Walker. Eight o’clock start in the upstairs room, admission on the door £10.00.         
Russell.

1 comment :

Hugh said...

Two fantastic sets at the evening gig too - same jokes though!

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