Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 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

18721 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 585 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 18) 49

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

From This Moment On

July

Mon 20: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 20: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. SOLD OUT!

Tue 21: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Joe Deans.

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 23: Side Café Orkestar @ New castle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Balkan, Hot Club, Klezmer.
Thu 23: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 24: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 25: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. Cheek to Cheek - Ella Fitgerald. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café (within Next), MetroCentre, Gateshead. 2:00-3:00pm. Free.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jo Harrop & Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.
Sun 26: King Bees @ Luckies, Jesmond, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues.

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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