Total Pageviews

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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

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

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Jam Session @ Jazz Café - November 18.

Peter Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Paul Wight (dms); Bradley Johnston (gtr) + Paul Gowland (alt); Yuya Honami (dms); Kath Jobes, Ann Alex (vcl); ? (fl).
(Review by Lance).
The students were out in force tonight. Noisy, boisterous, but, nevertheless, adding a welcoming ambience that surely served to draw the passing stranger inside. Nothing more forbidding to the curious than the sepulchral silences that pervade at some gigs.
Johnny Mandel's Emily set the scene. Cool and relaxed in 3, the 4 on stage gave a 5 star performance and this was but the beginning. Mancini's Two For the Road didn't raise the game but it didn't lower it either.
Bouncing With Bud [Powell] would surely have met with the composers approval as Gilligan gave the venue's recently acquired electric piano a workout it won't forget in a hurry. Things Ain't What They Used To Be and Willow Weep For Me had Bradley laying down some nice guitar licks alongside the pianistics with two of the three Pauls providing the sympathy and support.
The third Paul [Gowland] joined the jam as did a Japanese student [English and Maths] on drums.
Scrapple From The Apple was the test piece and Yuya Honami graduated with Honours. The crispest brushwork this side of Chico Hamilton. As for Paul III he too was on fire with some blistering alto on Scrapple, marginally more restrained on Autumn in New York, before re-fanning the flames on Blues For Alice.
Honami, as befits a student of Maths, had no trouble handling the 3/4 time of Jim Hall's delightful Waltz New - let's hope he hangs around town for a while.
Two of the BSH ladies seized control of the mic. First up was Kath Jobes who sang Autumn Leaves with an unknown flautist who stayed on board for Ann Alex (On Green Dolphin St & Secret Love). Tivoli saw Gowland return to the fray where he truly let fly on Have You Met Miss Jones and How High the Moon/Ornithology. Needless to say, Gilligan was with him every step of the way, The satisfied smile on Grainger's face confirmed that the recipe was being cooked to perfection whilst Wight, no doubt inspired by young Yuya, ensured that this perilous Lunar Mission landed safely.
The bad news is that the specially brewed Geordie Jazz Ale is no longer, yours truly drunk the last bottle.
RIP Geordie Jazz - I knew you well.
Lance.

No comments :

Blog Archive