Bebop Spoken There

Dominick "Domo" Branch: ''Most people say drummers can't write, they're just time-keepers only beating on things. But I have a very musical brain.'' (DownBeat February, 2026)

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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

Sat 14: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 14: Big Joe Louis + Michael Littlefield @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00. Jumpin’ Hot Club.
Sat 14: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 15: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Trio + Jason Holcomb. Free.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Wild Women of Wylam @ Ye Olde Cross, Ryton. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 15: Yorkshire Gypsy Swing Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Jasper Lo + Daniel Chandler Trio @ Little Buildings, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00. + bf.
Mon 16: Joe Steels Group @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blue Patch album tour.

Tue 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £9.50. Tickets: 0191 237 3697. ‘Jazz ‘n’ Pancakes’.
Tue 17: John Pope & John Garner @ The Great Hall, Sutherland Building, Northumbria University. 1:15pm. Free. Double bass & violin.
Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); John Hirst (drums).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: George Shearing Jazz Moments.

Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Fri 20: Squabble @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:00pm. Steve Chambers (organ); Jude Murphy (double bass, vocals); Sid White (drums).
Fri 20: Jive Aces @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors).
Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

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 08, 2015

Jason Isaacs @ Hoochie Coochie.

Jason Isaacs (vcl/ten); Lewis Watson (ten/fl); Ray Dales (alt/fl); Don Fairley (tmb): Mark Webb, Darren Irwin (tpt); Stuart Collingwood (keys); Keith Peberdy (bs gtr); Simon Ferry (dms).
(Review by Lance).
Another super Sunday at Hoochie - hang on, am I at Hoochie Coochie, 54 Pilgrim St, Newcastle? Nah this ain't "The Toon" it's Vegas.  Peter S likened Paul Skerritt's gig at Ashington Jazz Club to Caesar's  Palace and The Sands. Well if Paul was at one of them then Jason was at the other and both have played Hoochie - indeed Paul was in the audience today and, just as Paul picked up the coveted January BSH Gig of the Month Award then Jason must be odds on for the February accolade - make space on the mantelpiece Sharon!
The bar was, hanging from the rafters, packed.and the air was filled with a delicious aroma of hairspray and the perfumes of Araby. The girls had also doused themselves liberally!
The music? what can I say? this wasn't a concert, more an experience!
Imagine hearing Sinatra, Elvis, Ray Charles and a few other legends at their best on a Sunday afternoon in Newcastle!
Jason plays good tenor too - he has to! it's a brave man who blows sax solos with Lewis and Ray in the section! He traded choruses with Lewis on Spandau Ballet's Your Indestructible and it went to a split decision!
Wonderful takes on standards such as Tramp; Come Fly With Me; Beyond the Sea; Bojangles; Ain't that a Kick in the Head?; That's Life; a poignant rendition of One for My Baby that brought the boisterous audience to near silence and, of course, New York, New York. start spreading the news don't miss THE MAN next time around...
In the meantime I've got a single and a CD to review - maybe they'll be CD of the month? Impossible, Shaz's mantelpiece won't be big enough!
Lance.
PS:One visitor who was impressed by the show was Swedish bass sax player Frans Sjöstrom who, after playing to a packed house with the NCRO the previous evening was astonished to witness yet another full house this afternoon. This maestro will surely return to Sweden and proclaim the north east of England as the jazz capital of the UK!
Great to meet you Frans.
at

3 comments :

Liz said...

just my sorta gig!

Monday, February 09, 2015 10:31:00 am
Sharon said...

Thanks for the kind words Lance, plenty of space on my mantelpiece...

Monday, February 09, 2015 6:34:00 pm
Lance said...

Just heard - back on August 16!

Monday, February 09, 2015 6:41:00 pm

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