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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

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.

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.

Mon 13: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 13: Raymond MacDonald & Andy Champion @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Bradley Johnston Quartet @ The Jazz Café. February 13.










Bradley Johnston (guitar), Peter Gilligan (keyboards), Paul Susans (double bass) & Paul Wight (drums)
(Review by Russell/photos courtesy of Mike Tilley.)
Undergraduate guitar student Bradley Johnston stepped-up to the plate to lead his own quartet on a coveted Friday night date at the Jazz Café in Newcastle. If the young man felt nervous ahead of the advertised eight o’clock start it didn’t show. Johnston’s band mates were on the stand ready to go and right on time they hit the ground running with    a bright and breezy take on Wave.
Sonny Rollins’ Doxy cooked. Johnston laid down a great solo (wow!), the boys took it swing-time (Paul Susans’ walking bass line) and no one in the room had any doubts – Bradley Johnston could cut it with the best of them! A piano-guitar intro to Lover Man exuded sensitivity, as did drummer Paul Wight’s brush work. How Insensitive began as a bossa and somewhere along the line went samba and back to a bossa. 
A vigorous My Funny Valentine (‘You count it in, man’ said Wight) had the backing of the boys with Wight’s fizzing stick-work, Peter Gilligan’s superlative supporting piano and Susans’ smiling admiration for Johnston clear for all to see. Guitarist Johnston is a composer; Pat’s Waltz (referencing a major influence – the one and only Pat Metheny) could have been written by a seasoned musician. We are sure to hear more original material. The sixty minutes’ first set concluded with a raucous Moose the Mooche.
Two numbers into the second set, amidst the hottest playing of the night (a Pat Metheny composition), disaster struck as the bridge on Paul Susan’s double bass collapsed. Bull fiddle prostrate, Susans kneeling over it effecting repairs, Wight sat out as Johnston and Gilligan played an impromptu Spring is Here. Fantastic! But wait! Susans appeared to be losing the battle, the de-stringed instrument looked a terminal case. Gilligan joined bass man Susans on the floor, attempting string-to-string resuscitation. What to do? ‘Play solo, Bradley!’ And so he did. Unflustered, Bradley Johnston played But Beautiful. Amazing, say no more.
Susans and instrument stood upright (temporary repairs effected), game on. Stella By Starlight – it couldn’t get any better. Bandleader Johnston introduced his band – Peter Gilligan, Paul Susans and Paul Wight. The boys in the band made sure we knew who we were listening to…‘Bradley Johnston!’ Huge applause and then they took on Coltrane and tore it up!
Dr James Birkett had a gig of his own at the Globe (see Dean Stockdale review). He would have loved this set. Catch Bradley Johnston at a north east gig soon, because if you don’t, then in a year or two you’ll likely as not find him in London or New York.
Russell. 

2 comments :

Unknown said...

First visit to the Jazz Cafe on Friday Feb 13th 2015 and WOW what a treat! We never expected to here Jazz of this standard in the North East, My brother has travelled to London to get his fix of Jazz music for years always returning with the words when you hear real quality Jazz you will be hooked! He is right but no need to travel to London the Jazz Cafe put on a top quality band and we enjoyed every minute of it from a group of quality musicians, great night one to remember , big thanks to the Jazz Cafe and the Band.

Lance said...

Hi Phillip - so pleased you enjoyed the session at the Jazz Cafe - check it out again for the jam session on tuesday. Maybe your brother could bring some hot shots up from London - cool them down! No seriously, there is a good scene going on here in Newcastle and, if you check out our listings you may never watch TV again!

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