Total Pageviews

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

17655 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 929 of them this year alone and, so far, 74 this month (Dec. 31).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Mon 06: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 09: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: John H Hammond.
Thu 09: FILM: Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 2:35pm. Documentary (dir. Johan Grimonprez) ‘about jazz, (de)colonial history and activism featuring Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie’.
Thu 09: Happy Tuesdays @ Ye Olde Cross, Ryton. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 09: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 09: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. The session now monthly, next one Thursday 2nd Feb, then first Thursday in the month thereafter.

Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free.

Sat 11: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 11: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 12: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 12: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 12: King Bees @ The Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.
Sun 12: Dave Bottomley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.
Sun 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ 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

Monday, January 26, 2015

Durham University Big Band @ Darlington Jazz Club. January 25

Dan Garel , Felicity Evans (alt);  Matt McKernan , John Somerton(ten); Naomi Tansey (bar); Noah Lawrence, Sam Clark, Rasmus Borowski, Charles Price (tpt);
Nat Jackson, Chris Jones (MD), Joshua Harper, Luke Bentley (tmb); Matt Jacobs (pno); Ollie Farley (gtr); Jonathan Berry (bs); Tristan Bacon (dms); Laura Paul,Will Lavelle (vcl).
(Review by Russell)
Two big occasions are on the horizon for Durham University Big Band – a showcase gig at the Pizza Express, Dean Street, London and the little matter of the defence of their title at the Great North Big Band Jazz Festival. Darlington Jazz Club extended an invitation to the band to make a first appearance at the Forum Music Centre and it was duly accepted.
The Forum’s main hall was two thirds full as the orchestra took to the stage right on time. Apple Honey set the pace and it didn’t slacken. A Reuben Fowler number featured one of the band’s two vocalists; Laura Paul sang brilliantly (voice as orchestral instrument, left-field Norma Winstone). Without doubt Ms Paul is an early front runner in Bebop Spoken Here’s Performance of the Year category!  JJ Wheeler’s Homage – to namesake Kenny Wheeler – reaffirmed the band’s welcome move from standard swing material (top-flight piano and soprano sax solos). Homage (the band’s Durham Distillery Composition Prize entry) was something of a run-through as the band will effectively premiere it at the Pizza Express on February 15.
The interval: crisis – no cask ale! A bottle of Brown Ale the best on offer. The raffle (a tasty looking Anita O’Day CD went elsewhere), a bit crack and the second set opened in frightening style with Whiplash! Thankfully Fletcher (JK Simmons) wasn’t lurking in the shadows threatening to unleash his chilling one-liner Not quite my tempo. The Durham musicians have been well-schooled – tempo, sections, soloists, material. The band’s ace rhythm section didn’t miss a trick (excellent guitar and piano solos, Ollie Farley and Matthew Jacobs), brass and reeds flourished freeing soloists to do their thing notably Dan Garel (alto and soprano). The band’s thing was ‘jazz plus’. The ‘plus’ being hip-hop (J Dilla), nu-soul (the brilliant Laura Paul) and a challenging chart from the pen of Darcy James Argue. And then there was Ben Cottrell’s arrangement of Radiohead’s 15 Step.
A varied programme – The Lady is a Tramp featured the band’s other singer Will Lavelle – with the emphasis on the contemporary was commendable. The Durham University Big Band knows what it’s doing. Will it have the courage to present an all-contemporary set at the Great North Big Band Jazz Festival? One way to find out…get along to one of the best events of the year (March 6-8) at North Shore, Charles Street, Sunderland. There is ample parking, St Peter’s Metro station is five minutes’ walk, so put the dates in that new diary. If the Durham guys don’t win on the day (Saturday 7 March) you must be there to hear the band that dethrones them because they will be something special.      
Russell.   

No comments :

Blog Archive