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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 16: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

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

Friday, January 02, 2015

Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. Dec 31

Barry Soulsby (clarinet & vocals), Paul Gowland (tenor saxophone), Lawrence McBriarty (trombone), Brian Bennett (banjo & vocals), Bill Colledge (double bass) & Fred Thompson (drums & vocals) + Teresa Armstrong (vocals), Derek Fleck (clarinet) & Paul Thompson (drums.)
(Review by Russell).
The Crescent Club, for once, wasn’t bursting at the seams. Tea and biscuits the popular order of the day (regulars no doubt saving themselves for a bit of first-footing), a pint of Northumberland Brewery’s Secret Kingdom the choice for some, Wednesday residents the Vieux Carré Jazzmen took to the stand and appeared to be sober…it was early days.
Fred Thompson sang All of Me. Moving on…’Just a minute!’ MC Brian Bennett wasn’t about to let it pass…it was FT’s birthday! A chord from BB and the room sang a mostly in tune Happy Birthday. Barry Soulsby, back on the scene following an enforced absence, sang Down Among the Sheltering Palms and birthday boy Mr Thompson sang another – Making Whoopee (solos from Paul Gowland, tenor and Lawrence McBriarty, trombone). Honeysuckle Rose, Exactly Like You and Thompson singing Black and Blue (more from Gowland and McBriarty), the Vieux Carré certainly know how to keep things moving.
Bourbon St Parade (murmurs of approval from the audience for a classic number) heard Soulsby singing again (and playing his usual fluent clarinet). A bottle of Pinot Grigio sat on our table. Songstress Teresa Armstrong won the raffle and had no hesitation in making it her selection from the prizes on offer! And so it was TA’s turn to sing; I Can’t Stop Loving That Man of Mine with first rate tenor from Gowland. McBriarty returned to the business of playing some serious jazz with a rousing Dark Town Strutters Ball (Soulsby vocals).
Mr Derek Fleck arrived, and with a glass of red in hand, joined the band to play The Love Nest (some made the connection with a hit US television show of yesteryear) highlighting the band’s ensemble work. Fleck stayed on as FT sang Alexander’s Ragtime Band. Mr T vacated the drum stool in favour of Mr T. Fred joined the frontline to sing ‘ S Wonderful as Paul Thompson (son of) showed he had been well schooled by Thompson Senior, the soloists across the horns impressing. The Vieux Carré Jazzmen guarantee a good session. Catch them next at the Red House Farm pub in Whitley Bay on Sunday (Jan 4). Graham Hardy will be on trumpet and Paul Gowland will be alongside. Eight o’clock start.
Talking of Graham Hardy…on returning to Newcastle late afternoon, a Winter Carnival crowd was gathering in big numbers at Monument. The pre-fireworks music began with the Northern Monkey Brass Band. GH’s band blazed a trail with familiar tunes and their ranks were peppered with familiar faces – David G, Brendan M, Alistair L, Nik A. Horns and drums bedecked with flashing lights, bowler hats with light bulbs attached, perfectly normal attire and attachments for such an occasion. The turn-around was quick – The Hardy Boys hadn’t quite left the stage as the Baghdaddies (Pauls S and S, et al) were ready to go. Fireworks at midnight, the Toon, Party City!                                     
Russell.

1 comment :

Brian said...

Cheers, Russell!
Sorry I didn't get to chat to you, but at the end of the session when I went to seek you out you'd 'done a runner' - anyway, just to wish you (and Lance) all the very best for 2015.

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