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Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17873 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 194 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (March 14).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED PERMANENTLY!
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Nicknames.
Thu 20: Terri Green Experience @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.90.
Thu 20: King Bees @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb blues band.
Thu 20: Lindsay Hannon Trio @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Hannon’s ‘Tom Waits for No Man’ set.
Thu 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Giles Strong Quartet @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 21: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Featuring special guest Martin Litton (piano).

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Swamp Stomp String Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Sat 22: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: The Great Deceivers @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Tom Atkinson & co play King Crimson (1969-1974). Atkinson (guitar); Josh Bentham (alto sax); Stu Dawson (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums).

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: Fred Wesley & the New JB’s @ The Cluny. 7:30pm (doors). £27.50. POSTPONED! New date Wednesday 26 November.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

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, October 31, 2014

Gregory Porter/Nina Ferro @ Sage Gateshead October 30.

Gregory Porter (vcl); Chip Crawford (pno); Aaron James (bs); Emanuel Harold (dms); Yosuke Sato (alt).
Well, what can I say? Sage Gateshead was three tiers full. A sure indication that they've got it right! Gregory Porter is quite an amazing performer and to pull such a following is something else. And they all loved him!
As well they should.
The big man in the funny hat gave an assured performance and, if I hadn't heard him earlier this year at Hoochie, this would have probably been a rave review. But, how can you compare the intimate setting of a 250 max bar where, if you got there early enough, you could almost shake hands with the star, with row BB in a 1,640 auditorium where the big man (and he is a big man) was but a distant object?!
The program was near enough the same as at HC, the band likewise, and Yosuke Sato remains one of the best alto sax players I've heard this (or any) year but, unlike the adoring masses around me, it didn't quite connect with me ...if only I hadn't been to Hoochie in March...
-----
Nina Ferro (vcl); Grant Windsor (pno/vcl)..
When I see those dreaded words "Plus Support" I groan and hope my seat is close enough to an exit to enable me to escape and "support" the bar. However, when the support act turned out to be Nina Ferro all thoughts of another glass of Pinot Grigio vanished (my bank manager will be pleased to know!) and I remained firmly glued to my seat.
I first heard Nina Ferro back in 2009 at the Spice of Life down in Soho - a venue even smaller than Hoochie - and although I hadn't heard her since I knew she was still very active on the London scene.
How would she fare in Sage Gateshead's Hall One with only a pianist in support?
I say "only" but when that "only" is Grant Windsor the only becomes totally superfluous! I've heard the Aussie pianist several times with Clare Teal (by coincidence, the lady sitting next to me, Megan, was also from Down Under) and with Grant at the Steinway it was second only to Nina having the Northern Sinfonia in her corner.
Nina's set included several numbers from her latest CD (soon to be reviewed here) as well as Up On The Roof (Drifters?) and set the scene for the "Big Picture".
Lance.

5 comments :

Liz said...

well Lance, I read in today's Readers' letters in our local newspaper that, having played York Barbican on Tuesday Gregory said that we had "fantastic acoustics " here. Maybe that helped....

Lance said...

Nothing wrong with the acoustics at Sage Gateshead as well you know and Gregory Porter does have a great voice. The point I was trying to make was the contrast between having heard him singing in "your front room" and hearing him in a concert hall!

stevebfc said...

Fine singer she maybe but having Nina Ferro as a support act for Gregory Porter was akin to having Cliff Richard support the Sex Pistols. I left half way through a set to secure a pint of Wylam which at £4.95 was a bargain given the circumstances.
As for the great man himself I can only imagine how much better he must have been at the intimate Hoochie my enjoyment wasn’t helped by the giant of man sat in front who produced a total eclipse of the stage. As for the band as I was largely unimpressed Sato’s solo’s being more cheesy than a box of overripe Camembert. Clearly I was in the minority as the X Factor sized crowd seemed to love every minute of the show but I personally thought Mr Porter failed to carry this one off.

Lance said...

Steve, in the unlikely event of me ever having been at a Sex Pistols gig I'd have welcomed having Cliff Richards on the bill!
As regards the alto player all I can say is "Pass me the cheeseboard I rather like Camembert!"

Hugh said...

The alto sax playing was technically brilliant, I thought, but some of the arpeggiated solos were a bit "samey". I did love the brief exposure to soprano sax during one of the quieter numbers though.
Geoffrey was, well, "The Man"!
As regards the support act. I think Nina Ferro was an excellent choice and complemented the main man perfectly. GP may have considerable jazz influences, but is certainly not "just" a jazz artist, soul being the other main contender I would have thought.

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