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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

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, April 13, 2015

GIJF DayThree: Loose Tubes + Andy Sheppard & Rita Marcotulli

(Review by Russell)
The last day of the Gateshead International Jazz Festival, the final concert in Hall One at Sage Gateshead, featured the reformed twenty one piece big band Loose Tubes. Festival Director Ros Rigby introduced the band and in so doing asked of the audience: Who had heard the band previously? Many in the hall had indeed heard the band first time around – some thirty years ago. Those who hadn't were in for a new experience.
Some things never change – Django Bates (hat firmly on head), flautist Eddie Parker (an ‘eccentric’ pair of striped trousers – possibly the same pair from thirty years ago!) and an infectious enthusiasm. MC Ashley Slater cracked the jokes (band mates the butt of them) and, tellingly, frequently acknowledged the ‘boys’ in the band were no longer that. Paul Taylor, standing alongside Slater, was the band’s ‘resident northern git’ and others didn't escape his ire.
Yellow Hill (comp. Django Bates) opened the show. It was as if they’d never been away. The same instantly recognisable anarchic/chaotic ensemble sound. The Chris Batchelor composition Would I Were sounded fresh yet familiar. Batchelor soloed, so too guitarist John Parricelli. Newer material festured such as Batchelor’s Creeper and Django Bates’ Like Life (heard on Dancing in Frith Street from 2010). Loose Tubes prospered on being out of left field, now, 2015, where do they stand? Eddie Parker couldn't resist a sideways swipe at the state of the global village. Was it rage or weary acceptance? The music is, or should be central to any performance and Loose Tubes certainly let the music do (most) of their talking. The multi-layered ensemble textures, the solo spots observing big band convention, the spotlighted one standing out front.
One extended set seemed to satisfy the adoring Gateshead audience. Earlier saxophonist Andy Sheppard played for three quarters of an hour in the company of his accomplished Italian partner Rita Marcotulli. The duo clearly delighted in working together. 
Russell.         
Django Bates (keyboards & tenor horn), John Parricelli (guitar),Julian Arguelles (baritone saxophone), Mark Lockheart (tenor saxophone), Julian Nicholas (tenor saxophone), Steve Buckley (alto & soprano saxophones), Iain Ballamy (soprano saxophone), Eddie Parker (flute), Dai Pritchard (clarinet, bass clarinet, flute), Dave DeFries (trumpet), Noel Langley (trumpet), Chris Batchelor (trumpet), John Eacott (trumpet), Ashley Slater (trombone), Paul Taylor (trombone), Richard Pywell (trombone), Richard Henry (bass trombone), Dave Powell (tuba), Steve Watts (double bass), Louise Peterson Matjeka (percussion) & Martin France (drums)
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Andy Sheppard (tenor & soprano saxophones) & Rita Marcotulli (piano). 

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