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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

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: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

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

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ 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: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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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