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

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.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

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.

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, November 15, 2014

Kate Daniels Quartet @ Lit & Phil - November 14.

Kate Daniels (vcl); John Horler (pno); Alec Dankworth (bs); Graham Pike (hca/tpt/flug).
(Review/photo by Lance).
I'd put my head on the block, my heart on my sleeve, my...well never mind.. but, after hearing Kate's CD - Atmospherics - I was so knocked out I wanted the world to know! Then came the downside, would her live performance live up to the recording? Would local jazz fans follow my lead?
They Did!
Did they regret it?
They most certainly did not!
Kate has this quality that few singers possess - light and shade. The wistful, little girl soprano, the almost masculine baritone which, combined, often in the same phrase - or syllable! -  make for a rare delivery.
Songs from the GASbook - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To; I Thought About You; Night and Day: Slap That Bass; But Beautiful (some audience interchange re the "Road" films); and a 16 bar blues by Horler that was near enough as much an emotional experience as the vocal numbers were!.
Like on the recording, the noir theme was there. Get Out of Town - it would seem that some of those who should have been there took her advice but that was their loss! Dankworth, a tower of strength throughout, brought it in. Pike, this time playing "air trumpet" - only the sound of breathing coming through the bell.- as Kate gently sang the evocative Porter lyric. It was great but, imagine it being sung in near darkness - that would have been noir! As it was, Pike's flugel solo negotiated the mean streets without getting mugged (or handbagged!)
Blue Skies opened up the second set followed by Comes Love (If you hear the bailiff knocking you can hide behind the door). Take Five (never knew it had words!) and then - and then - Cy Coleman's I Walk a Little Faster. It had been a great gig up to this point but now - all bets were off - this was the one! Not just the winsome vocal, the bass and the simpatico accompaniment but Pike's flugel solo (again) elevated it up to the next cloud!
Witchcraft; my favourite "desert song" - Night in Tunisia (Pike on harmonica!!) then You Must Believe in Spring - this ranks alongside Blossom's version;  A Train and the encore, Whisper Not, rounded off a "Grand Night for S(w)inging" and a beautiful night for jazz at the Lit and Phil.
Now let's see, who wasn't there! Just as well you guys didn't show as they were running out of chairs!
Lance.
PS: On piano Horler was superb!.
PPS: And Kate looked gorgeous in her LBD!

6 comments :

The LondonJazz site said...

She sounds great, Lance. And one for anoraks: I wonder if a reader has a judgment on "hca" versus "hmca" as abbreviation for harmonica...

Lance said...

Or even "m o"!

Liz said...

I walk a little faster, a beautiful number, so true of anyone in that state of mind

Ann Alex said...

In the folk music world, harmonicas are called harps or gob irons.

Lance said...

Ann, "harp" refers to the 8 hole diatonic harmonica which is the instrument most commonly used by folkies and bluesmen (Bob Dylan, Sonny Terry etc). The term "harmonica" usually means the 16 hole chromatic instrument as used by Larry Adler, Max Geldray (remember him on the Goon Show?) and locally by Ray Burns and Brian Lynam.
I've never heard it called a "Gob Iron" although, years ago, clarinets were often known as "Gob sticks" and I suppose this is another example of the other genres hanging on to the shirt-tails of the jazz scene.
I remember, years ago when we were saying "gigs" the young aspiring popsters would say "bookings". Now they all say gigs - usually followed by a sigh felt "where"?

Ann Alex said...

Lance, Very interesting. The instrument played by Larry Adler does seem to have a fuller sound than that played by folkies, so what you say makes sense.Come to BSH for your musical education.
Ann Alex

Blog Archive