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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

17680 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 23 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Jan. 9).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Mon 13: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 13: Raymond MacDonald & Andy Champion @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session. TBC.

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: 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.

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

Strictly Smokin' Big Band - Open Rehearsal October 30.

(Review by Kath J./ Photo courtesy of Kathryn Lowden)
The night started out with a small gathering of attentive listeners to Gerry Mulligan’s Catch as Catch Can.  Next came one of the most famous songs from the Big Band era, a tune written by Louis Prima in 1935,  Sing Sing Sing, bravely executed by the SSBB so early in the evening, but the musicians were quickly warming to their task, particularly Guy on Drums!   
After you’re Gone featuring Pete Tanton on Trumpet was followed by Gordon Goodwin's Count Bubba, and then a lively version of Caravan with Steve Summers now on soprano.  Incidentally this evening he had 3 saxes and a flute… I almost expected to see his Pandeiro and Cabasa arrive too for this number… he’s partial to a bit of Latin percussion as you may see at The Globe on November 15  when he joins a few other well-known local musicians for some Jazz Latin Groove…. I digress… but then I do love a bit of Latin too.The arrival of one of the big band’s singers brought a flurry of activity to set up a mic while Steve Summers displayed his versatility picking up his flute and Kieran Parnaby showed his skill on trombone during Frankie, Johnny and the Trombone Guy.  Lindsay Hannon started off with Orange Coloured Sky (Mk 1) but unfortunately sharing the amp with other instruments didn’t work, and only those on the front row could hear her lovely rendition, having turned up a bit Lindsay went on to sing The More I See You but the mic volume still wasn’t great; Lindsay went off to get the portable PA from Michel Lamb’s car, and set that up while the band finished the first set with, Who Could Ask for Anything More.
Set two commenced with Horace Silver’s,  Song For My Father and by now the numbers in the audience had swelled so that the band were now outnumbered, and the soloists were instructed that they now had to stand up to solo, with band leader Michael Lamb showing us how it’s done.  Lindsay took another crack at Orange Coloured Sky (Mk 2) and this time everyone got to hear this smashing tune, she followed on with Nice Work If You Can Get It before the band interjected with Buddy Rich’s Big Swing Face.  Lindsay’s That Old Black Magic proved that sometimes the Band Leader just needs to get a bit right, and the band returned to bar 106 having gained permission from the audience to work out a niggle … Job done and they moved on to  another Gerry Mulligan tune, The Red Door.  Lindsay came back on to sing her beautiful version of Angel Eyes and the final number of the night saw the line-up change to 3 tenor saxes for Sax Ally, with Steve Summers, swapping to tenor to join Paul Gowland and Jamie Toms for some saxophone banter between the boys. 
Kath.
P.S. Come January and Steve Summer’s alto goes off for a service and re-pad,  so watch for the swap around between 1st Alto and 1st Tenor Saxes.. interesting times!

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