Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18818 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 682 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 20) 51.

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

August

Sun 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Royal Quays Marina, North Shields. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free..
Sun 23: Blue Note Quintet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00..
Sun 23: Timmy Allan Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 24: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 27: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 27: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 28: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 29: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:30pm (doors). £32.00.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Jazz Café Jam September 16

Peter Gilligan (pno); Bradley Johnston (gtr); John Pope (bs); Paul Wight (dms) + Brian Lynham (hca/vcl); Hannah Wilson (vcl); Ray Truscott (bs gtr); Kathryn Lowdon (vcl).
(Review by Lance/photo by Mike Tilley).
The house trio became a quartet tonight with the addition of  Bradley on guitar. How well this young man has mastered the idiom slotting in comfortably with Gilligan, Wight and Pope John - the latter depping for the absent Paul Grainger.
Days of Wine and Roses took off as if the bar and the florist were about to close in 3 minutes time! The quartet made it! Johnston provided the melody for All the Things You Are, Gilligan took us to Dear Old Stockholm followed by some Latin rhythms on that bossa nova with 20 different names. Tonight it may have been sailing under Carnival. 
Brian Lynham brought his harp to the party and he was asked to play. Stormy Weather was the forecast although later he gave us a rockin' version of Summertime complete with vocal to complement the bluesy sounds from his Hohner 270.
Bradley kept the blues theme going with Things Ain't What They Used to Be. On piano, Gilligan, oblivious to the instruments failings, was playing a blinder and never more so than on Anthropology taken at Tempo Di Lick (fast!) guitar and piano playing in unison.
A new kid on the block was Hannah Wilson who gave an imaginative rendition of My Funny Valentine - look forward to hearing her again.
The Pope took a well-earned break and Ray Truscott (pictured with Bradley Johnston) added a couple of extra strings to the bass section and admitted he had Met Miss Jones.
Skylark and Canteloupe Island kept the ball in play. The former delicate and reflective, the latter funky and soulful. 
John Pope came back on for the bass feature Mr PC - a tune dedicated to former Miles Davis bassist Paul Chambers and nothing to do with being a computer, a constable or a politically correct person.
Other gems included Moonlight in Vermont, Chick Corea's 500 Miles High and In a Mellotone before the ebullient Ms Lowdon socked it to us with Stormy Monday.
Another good day at the office.

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