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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17719 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 39 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Jan. 15).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Thu 16: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 17: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 17: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 17: Joe Steels Trio w. Graham Hardy @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. (inc. a welcome drink & table reservation). Book at: www.drinks@thepele.co.uk. A ‘Jazz at the Pele’ promotion.
Fri 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 18: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 18: Alter Ego + Jamie Toms/Graham Don Duo @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 18: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Repas 7 by Night, West St., Berwick TD15 1AS. 7:30pm. Free. Album launch gig.
Sat 18: Delta Prophets @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 19: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. ‘Glenn Miller & the Rat Pack Era’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 19: Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 19: Nick Ross Orchestra @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Sun 19: Freight Train (Tobin/Noble/Clarvis) @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 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

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Jam Session @ The Globe.

Stuart Finden (gtr); Fiona Finden (ten/vcl); Andrew Porritt (bs); + Ann Alex, Barry Keatings (vcl); Dave Parker (bs); Dave Speake (dms).
(Review by Lance).
Jam sessions - irrespective of whether you call them Jams, Workshops or Blow as You Pleases, at the end of the day it's open season for all who wish to put up or shut up - few take the latter option.
Today was low key - drummer missing and no hungry hornmen champing at the reed to despatch their contemporaries to the cutting room floor.
Nevertheless, despite a shortage of contenders and an audience that occupied all of one table, Mr and Mrs Finden got the ball rolling with The Message, a tune written by Nick Weldon whom Russell informed us was the son of novelist Fay Weldon and whom I revealed had written a novel about a jazz trumpet player who takes a married woman off to France with him and the band and his daughter although not his wife. Are you with me? (That's jazz for you I hear you sigh). The book, incidentally, is called Leader of the Band.
The leader of the band today was Stuart Finden, not on tenor, but on guitar which he is also very capable on. Mrs F (Fiona) blew tenor and sang quite exquisitely although it did cause me to ponder upon the domestics when spouses are in the same band.
Instead of "You promised me you'd cut the lawn and wash the dishes", is it "How could you? How could you play a Db major 7th when you knew I needed an E minor augmented 9th. Do that again and you and I are diminished!"
I'm sure no such altercations took place today.
Fi continued with Secret Love and Sister Sadie before BSH reviewer Ann Alex took us down Green Dolphin Street and sang Bye Bye Blackbird and If I Were a Bell.
Fiona sang/played Corcovado - she gets a good Lester/Getz tenor sound these days.
Barry Keatings did All Blues; Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You and It's Only a Paper Moon.
Of course the main thing about Jams is the Sound of Surprise. I missed last Tuesday's jam at the Jazz Café and, in doing so, missed an apparently superb young Japanese drummer from the Uni. Today, who should roll in but Dave Speake, drummer brother of ace sax man Martyn Speake.
Dave was performing later with Roxy Musique - a tribute band - and gave his jazz chops a work out on Billie's Bounce (Fi vocal); I Fall in Love Too Easily (Don't we all?). Ann sang It Don't Mean a Thing and Senor Keatings returned for Besame Mucho and Route 66. This latter number gave Dave Speake an opportunity to work out and, all in all, despite the lack of audience and jammers, it was a good afternoon.
Newcastle even beat Spurs away from home!
Lance.

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