Total Pageviews

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

Saturday, February 21, 2015

The Road to Hong Kong with Colin Aitchison - Part Four.

Q: Ned Kelly’s, it sounds a fun place. Is it purely jazz or do you have to do a bit of everything?
A: Ned Kelly’s is 80%  Dixieland, the rest, 10% Swing & Latin Jazz with a little Be-Bop and  the other 10% are my cabaret spots, or as I call it, a little audience participation. There are times when we add a touch of Spike Jones.
Now when I say 80% Dixieland, I would not say it is "pure Dixieland". To give an example we play everything from Jelly Roll Morton’s “Black Bottom Stomp"  to  a little Latin jazz "Triste" to "Take Five". The  cabaret stuff -  well, that is me fooling around playing "Amazing Grace" on the tea-pot in 2 octaves, to doing a Louis taake on “What A Wonderful World"  with the Neds Glee Club (audience). "New York, New York" has been renamed "Mong Kok, Mong Kok" which is a notorious area here in Hong Kong. Some other fun routines are the rubber chicken on  12th Street Rag! The audience love it!
Post 1997 saw a dramatic change in the audience mix. Gone are the forces expats - we have a wonderful young Chinese following, who come to enjoy the fun and entertainment. It is a great and fun venue for office and birthday parties and celebrations of all sorts. We still host regulars from the numerous trade shows held here and of course, over the years we have had  visiting musicians and passengers from cruise ships,  US fleet personnel and US 7th fleet band
I would say our audience is a mix of locals, expats and  business people, with an age group from 18 year olds to 70+ year olds.  Neds has hosted some greats like Charlie Barnet, Rosemary Clooney, Matt Monroe, Sergio Mendes, Kenny Ball, Bob Wilber (pictured with Colin), Fred Wesley and in March this year we will have US trombonist Dan Barrett.
Q: You return to the UK on a yearly basis doing a few gigs with the local guys. Do you think you’ll ever return to stay?
A: As time goes by – cue for a song.  Every year on a return I do feel more at home.  They always say that you eventually come back to your roots, and if I was to return it would be to Tyneside. I would of course not be back to play full time. It would be just nice to play and enjoy playing when I want to. I am always deeply touched by the warm welcome that both Jeannie and I receive when we meet up with friends and musicians who have known me since I was a little boy and dad was around.
I have a couple of years to fulfil contracts in Hong Kong,  To think  that when I turned professional in 1976, and in all that time I’ve only been out of work for around one month,. I had to travel and I had to take chances and the gamble has paid off.   It will be a difficult decision to leave Asia. but yes... UK is still on the cards and if I did return, it would be to Geordie Land
Q: Unlike some musicians, you have a deep interest in the history of the music typified by your vast collection of vintage Melody Makers ?
A: What a great music paper that was, and one of my first jobs came from it. So definitely  a strong attachment.  Their reports and coverage of jazz and big bands from the 20's to the 70's  it's all there. I'm at present in the process of posting my collection on line on Flickr.  It's a time consuming task and I often find myself side tracked by wanting to read the many interesting articles that I come across. 
Colin.
(To be continued)

2 comments :

carstairs said...

When you come back you can make a start with scanning my collection of M . M and RHYTHM !
Meanwhile we look forward to July

CCJAZZMEN said...

John, would love to do that, but it is a big job, and you get so side tracked, but what great musical magazines and papers they were, and most of my jobs as a professional musician came from the MM in those days, yes looking forward to July, and some relaxed blows here and there.

Blog Archive