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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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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.

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

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