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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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

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. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! 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.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

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

Monday, October 06, 2014

Blue-Eyed Hawk @ the Bridge Hotel. October 5

Lauren Kinsella (voice/keys), Alex Roth (guitar, effects, voice), Laura Jurd (trumpet, synth, voice), Corrie Dick (drums, percussion, voice).
(Review by Lance/photo courtesy of Ken Drew).
Third appearance by Blue-Eyed Hawk within these hallowed pages, second showing in Newcastle by Kinsella this week and a first rate performance at last night's Splinter session at the Bridge Hotel.
Hugh Cochrane gave a fair assessment of their début CD Under the Moon, I was present at the CD launch at Kings Place last month and, even as I type, Steve H may have words winging their way to me re Lauren's gig at Kings Hall on Thursday (the girl certainly moves amongst the crowned heads!).
The gig at Kings Place scored on the grounds that each member of the quartet stepped up to the mic and gave the audience a snippet or two about the pieces they individually wrote.
Very little of that last night. However, hearing and seeing the band within the confines of the pub as opposed to row ZZ in the Sage-like hall down at Kings Place was a totally different ball game! At KP I was at an enjoyable concert, here I was in the centre of a musical maelstrom  - Living in the Fast Lane (final number before number 27 bus lured me away - thank God the driver hadn't heard it!) was just that and Somewhere (Over the Rainbow) gave a different take to the tale of the Wizard of Oz.. In this version Dorothy is blown to buggery and it is the Wicked Witch of the West who runs off with the Tin Man.
Kinsella is indeed a sorceress capable of bewitching the listener with her flawless pitching and the vocal/trumpet passages are sheer magic. Jurd, laid back, played trumpet and keys (sometimes simultaneously) quite restrained albeit not without the occasional flourish that tells you that behind the Milesian exterior there is a Dizzy fighting to be free! Roth and Dick contributed to the proceedings admirably, the former, not content with merely (merely!) playing guitar, also concocted sound potions using an ebow (I think) and fiddling with foot pedals whilst Dick varied his attack using sticks (sometimes 2 in each hand) and mallets as well as changing cymbals more times than most people change their socks in a week!
It was different.
It was an experience.
It was excellent.
Lance.
at

2 comments :

Dave Sayer said...

I was at last nights gig and maelstrom is the most apt description. It was exciting, provocative stuff. I listened to the album on the way home and decided that this is what they need on the next Eddie Stobart Trucking CD.
Cheers
Dave

Monday, October 06, 2014 12:36:00 pm
Ken Drew (on F/b) said...

Spot-on review Lance. Spellbinding and raucous all in the same performance! Great stuff, and a real treat to see them in Newcastle.

Monday, October 06, 2014 6:46:00 pm

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