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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

Monday, April 13, 2015

GIJF Day Three: Vocal Workshop with Alice Zawadzki and Other Matters

(Review by Ann Alex/photo courtesy of Ken Drew)
At last I know where my soft palate is situated.  We began the workshop with vocal exercises, hums so that we could feel our soft palates enhancing the sound, then we found our diaphragms for breathing exercises.  We then sang ‘ooo’ on our chosen note, sounding rather like Buddhist monks, quite spiritual, and the sounds tend to come together to form a pleasing whole, surely a sign that human beings have a natural tendency to co-operate, at least that’s my interpretation of it. Then brave volunteers sang solo to the accompaniment of Alice’s fine band of keys, guitar, bass and drums (named on the review of Saturday evening).
Four people were brave enough to submit their singing for feedback, including Jen Errington who did a pleasing version of I Thought About You, deservedly praised.  And we had such fun with the singer of St Louis Blues, a lovely bluesey voice, with us clapping and finger clicking along and singing as well.  All this led us to discuss ways to count in the band, probably the hardest thing of the lot for singers, apart from remembering the words of course. All very enjoyable and useful – thanks so much to Alice and the musicians.
Other Matters
Readers must by now have gathered that other matters mainly concerns the Concourse and the Jazz Co-op stand, although today had me looking eagerly through the fine selection of 2nd hand CD’s which were for sale on the Jazz North East stand.
I entered the Sage at ten to two (did you know that when you say ‘ten to two’ you have the rhythm for swing?  I quote Jim Birkett), to hear what sounded like free jazz, weird really, but it then materialised into a lively exciting version of Well You Needn’t from a woman singer, a real gem from the concourse to take me into the workshop. My meal after the workshop was eaten to the accompaniment of the John Ellis Trio, keys, bass, drums and vocals, starting with a rousing Norwegian Wood, and including Hi Lili Hi Lili Hi Lo, which took me right back to the sad film I saw as a child which has this beautiful song in it. A good jazz/rock combo.
Then came Jambone, the Sage’s own superb youth big band, augmented on this occasion by members of Manchester’s Beats and Pieces band and conducted by Ben Cottrell.  They played for the teatime session, which rounds off the concourse performances at GIJF, quite an emotional part of the festival, as it’s nearly over by this time apart from the evening gigs.  They gradually built up to a wall of sound for the first tune. A typical later tune began simply with keys and a banana shaped shaker, a trumpet solo, then a build up to the tension of ensemble playing, and all this being painted by the festival artist, busy at her easel at the front of the cafe.  Another tune, a steady beat for quite a while, then horns rise out of the sound.  Then a drum solo with wisps of horns playing about, and a strong loud finish.
People arriving for the evening gigs, some of the women in circular skirts with masses of frills beneath, coming for the Americana type music of Davina And The Vagabonds. All quiet when the gigs have begun, except for the sound of the gear being taken down on the concourse stage. I chat to a few stragglers who come to the Co-op stand.
Over for another year.   
Ann Alex.

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