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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 ...

MARCH 2025.

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. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! 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.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
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.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

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, December 31, 2014

CDs of 2014

I receive so many CDs for review picking out one above all the rest is impossible so next year I hope to pick out a CD and a gig of the month which will narrow the field somewhat. Readers are, of course, invited to make their submissions although I won’t be holding my breath!
Anyhow, here we go (Alphabetical):
·       Annie Ross To Lady with Love. A CD and DVD featuring Annie Ross in tribute to Billie Holiday. The voice may be but a shadow of itself but the emotional content is unbeatable. With John and Bucky Pizzarelli.
·        Basin Street Brawlers It’s Tight Like That. A party style Dixieland band full of fun popular in and around London. Worth hearing them further north.
·   Big ChiefBlues in Twos. Previously unissued tracks by legendary blues band featuring Dick Heckstall-Smith.
·       Chris Ingham Quartet Hoagy. Pianist/vocalist Ingham pays tribute to Hoagy Carmichael with some Bixian overtones from Paul Higgs and recent North east arrival Russ Morgan on drums.
·       Count Basie and his Orchestra Original Album Series. A 5 CD set of classic Basie albums make this the reissue of the year.
·       Hank Marvin Django’s Castle. An unlikely entry but Marvin proves he’s no mere “shadow” of the legendary Django.
      Hansu-Tori - An Improvised Escape. A late arrival but well worth waiting for.
·        Johanna Graham Quartet Don’t Let Me Be Lonely. Debut album by a new singer (to me that is). Received rave reviews from her launch at Pizza Express.
·      New Century Ragtime Orchestra Singin’ in the Bathtub. Tyneside’s unique take on 1920s/30s big band music.
·        Paul Edis SextetMr Hipster. I  haven’t actually heard the CD but I’ve heard the sextet live enough times and read other reviews to know that it will justify inclusion.
·       Scottish National Jazz Orchestra Culloden Moor Suite. Bobby Wellins composed and is featured on this stand out disc.
·      Scottish National Jazz Orchestra American Adventure. SNJO in America with guests such as Kurt Elling, Randy Brecker, Mike Stern and many others.
·   The Lindsay Hannon PlusThe Spy. Imaginative interpretations of standards, originals and contemporary classics.
·        Tim Kliphuis TrioThe Grappelli Album. Kliphuis pays homage to the other driving force of The Hot Club.
·     Tommaso Starace Quartet Italian Short Stories. An exciting and at times evocative musical portrait of an Italian photographer.
·       Tommy Smith and Brian Kellock Whispering of the Stars. Tremendous duo album by two superb players.
     Vance Thompson's Five Plus Six - Such Sweet Thunder. An offbeat, yet still swinging tribute To Duke, Monk and Dolly Parton!
·      Vasilis Xenopoulos The Wind Machine. “Vasi” has impressed us live on many occasions and this re-working of some big band classics is a classic in its own right.
Apologies to those artists whose discs I haven't included many of which are also deserved of mention.
Lance.

1 comment :

Lindsay said...

Delighted to have our two most recent SNJO CDs listed as well as Tommy Smith / Brian Kellock album - wonderful!! Now here's to 2015 and our 20th anniversary celebrations with some special concerts

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