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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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
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: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

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. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. 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.

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

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Paul Edis Sextet @ Gala Theatre, Durham, Mr Hipster tour, October 13

Paul Edis (piano), Graham Hardy (trumpet & flugelhorn), Graeme Wilson (tenor & baritone saxophones), Kieran Parnaby (trombone), Mick Shoulder (double bass) & Adam Sinclair (drums).
(Review by JC).
As BSH has already reviewed the Sextet's Mr Hipster CD and the album launch at Sage Gateshead, there is not an awful lot left to say except that everything Lance and Russell have said is true. What a great band, playing great compositions!
Durham is Paul Edis's home town so when the album review says that the opening number The Timothys has a township groove, this township is Durham. The band leader was in chatty form and opened his remarks by explaining that this concert was part of the Mr Hipster tour and naturally enough asked how many hipsters were in the hall. Of course, the jazz fans of Durham are far too hip to respond to that kind of question and I would have thought that less than half the audience put up their hands.
The sextet played most, if not all, of the tracks from the album and what comes across is the complexity and diversity of the musical inspirations for the pieces and the structure and coherence of the musical composition. The musical fun of Mr. Hipster, the exotic feel of Eastern, the Spanish tinge to Knight Errant; all are played with solos of consummate precision and a terrific ensemble sound. The track based on a twitter interaction with John Prescott (can he really have 100,000 twitter followers as PE suggested? who could they be?) Better than a Punch in the Face is counter pointed by the Mingus inspired Ah Um who Edis said might wade in the audience and punch someone who was talking too loud - better no talking than a punch in the face, maybe? Then there was Serial for Breakfast inspired by Arnold Schoenberg during which a moth appeared fluttering over the stage, presumably the spirit of Schoenberg checking out on how the band was doing. After about 30 seconds it flew off, no doubt more than satisfied. Dorian Grey was a cautionary tale about an ageing hipster and the sextet also played a tune from the first album for Mr. Edis senior, Blues for Dad, although surely it should have been Blues for Daddio in this context.
Throughout, the playing of Paul Edis was exemplary, particularly on the romantic Missing You and a touch of stride on Ah Um. He also played an exceptional solo piece, The Skye Boat Song, which was a nod towards the political excitement of the Scottish referendum.
As has been said, the sextet is full of great musicians and the solos from all of them were top drawer. At the end it was announced that the trombone player, Kieran Parnaby, was deputising at short notice and I have to say he did a great job. The setting of the Gala Theatre was very good with the band filling the stage and while some recent jazz gigs have featured multiple videos and all kinds of technological gizmos the Gala outdid them all with the most dry ice I've seen outside of a Tynemouth sea fret.
The sextet is on again in Hexham tonight (Saturday October 18). Not to be missed!
JC.
ps: The album is terrific!

1 comment :

Hugh said...

Great gig in Hexham too. No hipsters in the audience. The only ice was wet, and was in the drinks.

Paul and the boys were on fine form. Being held in the Little Angel Cafe, rather than the Queen's Hall, there were one or two residual diners, who continued to talk through the music. No punches thrown though! Luckily for the rest of us, they left before the second set.

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