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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 16: MOBO Song @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 12 noon. Free, performances on the concourse. Line-up inc. Jazz Attack (on stage time TBC) & Jambone (12:20pm).
Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. .

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones - 1975.
Thu 20: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 20: Orange Claw Hammer + Peony @ The Globe, Newcastle.7:30pm. Orange Claw Hammer play Captain Beefheart.
Thu 20: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Featuring special guest Zoë Gilby.

Fri 21: JazzMain @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. TBC.
Fri 21: Emma Rawicz w. Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

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

Monday, March 30, 2015

Jason Isaacs & Zita Frith @ Bonbar March 29.

Jason Isaacs (vcl/ten); Mark Webb, Darren Irwin (tpt); Dave Brock  (tmb); Andy Bennett, Ray Dales (reeds); Stuart Collingwood (pno); Neil Harland (bs); Simon Ferry (dms) + Zita Frith (vcl).
(Review by Lance).
A Jason Isaacs' show isn't just another gig it's an occasion - a happening! The songs and the routines may be familiar but, somehow, he makes you think you're hearing them for the first time, such is the man's charismatic appeal. 
Tramp; Beyond the Sea; Kick in the Head; Minnie the Moocher; That's Life; Leroy Brown and many more made this a ring-a-ding-ding of a show.
A tribute to Francis Albert (Weren't they all?) with You Make me Feel so Young brought Songs For Swinging Lovers to mind, the Nelson Riddle arrangement cleverly orchestrated for the octet - I think piano may have commandeered the flute passage. I say 'may have' as a group at the bar were more intent on hearing their own voices than Jason's meaning some of the nuances were lost for the serious listener.
Send in the Clowns almost tempted me to call out that they were already here. I didn't but, at the conclusion of the beautifully rendered Sondheim classic, Jason did address another noisy group (sitting in the 'posh end' too) saying, "You've been talking for two hours, can you not shut up for three minutes!"
However, these were but minor irritations in an evening that never dragged. Harry Connick Jr's We Are in Love from the film When Harry Met Sally floored me! A tune I knew but hadn't previously paid much attention to - I paid attention to it tonight!
One of the other highlights was a cameo appearance by Zita Frith, formerly of Frith Street, a band doing the rounds a few year's back, who came close to upstaging the great man himself!
Fever â la Peggy and Get Happy â la Judy had the crowd yelling for more which they got in the form of a duet by Jason and Zita on Me and my Shadow.
Zita - who along with friend Peter, Bob Gladwin former singer and head honcho of Beverly Artists, Tom and Kirsten, shared our table - will be singing in the Redwood Bar of the Vermont Hotel* on April 10 which, unfortunately clashes with GIJF.
The following day, April 11, Jason makes a return trip to London's Boisdale. Situated in the Canary Wharf shopping complex, Boisdale is a great venue and the 'canary' with Jason at Canary Wharf is Faye Tozer well worth a trip down - just a shame it had to clash with the jazz festival at Sage Gateshead.
To sum up this evening - convivial company, good food and great music.
Lance.
*More on the Vermont Hotel shortly.

6 comments :

Lance said...

Apologies for initially referring to Zita as Vita - the world, and Dolly the Dog, have brought me to heel on this - next time, the Pedigree Chum's on me! BTW - Now corrected!

Liz said...

just listened to Connick's version as you suggest Lance, a real swinging affair & loved the big band...great number, cannot think how it had slipped into my past memory!

Lance said...

Hope you'll hear Jason's version sometime! It's a great song that should have been covered by every crooner in the land!

Liz said...

correct, but probably a bit daunting as the lyrics are demanding!

Mrs Isaacs said...

Have you also got a dog named Dolly??? What a crazy coincidence... X

Lance said...

No, but I knew you had - I'm a cat person!

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