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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington (National Trust), Cambo, Morpeth NE61 4AR. 12 noon & 2:00pm. Admission to site £19.00.
Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Archie Brown & Friends @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00-8:00pm. Free.

January 2025

Wed 01: ???

Thu 02: ???

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: John Gregory @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.

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, February 04, 2015

Jazz Café Jam - February 3.

Peter Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Bradley Johnston (gtr); Paul Wight (dms)  Paul Gowland (alt); Alexis Cairns, Joe Reeve (ten); Mark Williams, Simon Stephenson, Tom Lapworth (gtr); Tom Chapman (bs gtr); Matthew MacKellar, Rob Bates, Ian Forbes (dms).
(Review by Lance).
This was quite a session with a mix of regulars, occasionals and first-timers on the stand all adding their own individuality to the night.
Gilligan sat at the keyboard and complained of the cold - two numbers later he had his coat off and all four were perspiring profusely thanks to a blast on Bird's Blues For Alice!
Prelude to a Kiss in 3/4 was served at room temperature before Wave saw Bradley put skid marks on his Ibanez fretboard.
Gowland, on Conn Underslung, this week, - the first of the comings and goings - took Body and Soul around the block then paint-stripped the ceiling on 500 Miles High helped along by Matthew MacKellar's simpatico drumming..
Alexis Cairns doesn't do paint-stripping instead she wove meaningful pastel shades on All the Things You Are and Someday my Prince Will Come. The prince duly did arrive in the form of first time bass guitarist Tom Chapman. Chapman was sound and his solo on the latter number as melodic as anything I've ever heard from a Fender Precision.
From here on in it all became a blur - literally musical chairs - as guitars came and went, drums were adjusted, amps plugged and unplugged, saxophones queued up, bottles of ale were quenched.
Simon Stephenson and Bradley duetted on Misty, Mark Williams and Bradley gave Stella a going over (By Starlight) another new face - Joe Reeve - tore it up on tenor with St. Thomas (who was still on bass guitar). Rob Bates impressed on drums before handing over to "Not quite my tempo" Ian Forbes.
Meanwhile, yet another guitarist - Tom Lapworth, from Hull, - had been quietly lurking in the undergrowth before seizing the moment to shine which he most certainly did.
There was so much more, not least Pete Gilligan who played almost non-stop and Paul Grainger and Paul Wight who unselfishly stepped aside to give others a chance but who, when they were on stage, didn't fumble the ball.
Photos
Lance.

1 comment :

OxenOrb said...

Nice review man. I am from Newcastle but had been studying in Hull until recently. Cheers.

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