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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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Only Six Standards.
Thu 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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 Two: On The Concourse

(Observations by Russell/photo courtesy of Ken Drew.)
An integral part of the Gateshead International Jazz Festival at Sage Gateshead is the non stop programme of jazz on the concourse. A social gathering – coffee, cake (some of it is likely to be scoffed as a freebie!), a glass of wine or a beer. The chatter, the snappers, an artist in residence, the place a hive of activity.
On this Saturday afternoon Jazz Attack – another of Sage Gateshead’s music education initiatives – opened proceedings. Lead by drummer Paul Edis*, this youth ensemble took to the stage from a staircase, playing as they walked onto the platform. A calypso (good, joyous material ideal in a festival setting), Satin Doll, the riffing Nick’s Late (the band’s title for a frequently late-arriving tenor player – no names, the clue is in the title) and the classic Nat Adderley number Work Song. MD Edis encouraged his charges, keen to hear their efforts rewarded with applause. The audience showed appreciation for several solo spots – tenor and alto particularly noteworthy – and the collective performance. Give it a year or two and some of these guys will become familiar names on the scene.
Improvising pianist Paul Taylor had the grand piano to himself for half an hour or so. In a typically restrained performance Taylor’s watercolour-wash impressionism engaged the attention of those up close, others a distance away perhaps missing out on the finer detail of his art.
The Ruth Lambert Trio ensured the sound balance was as good as it can be in the arena. Vocalist Lambert sang as well as ever, bassist Mick Shoulder and Giles Strong (guitar) as ever, were immaculate as accompanists as a set of original material was topped and tailed with GAS book classics You and the Night and the Music and Time After Time.
The Mark Gray Band (or was it Skake Yer/Your Brass?) entertained with a brassy jazz attack featuring the all-action David Gray (trombone). From Frankenstein to Brooklyn, it was just the sort of rousing stuff that cannot fail on the concourse at Sage Gateshead. The Cookers called a tea break in the Barbour Room. Instruments locked away, it was time to hear from the masters – read the report of the occasion posted by the editor of this blog.
Later, back on the concourse…the place was absolutely packed for the appearance of the one and only King Bee. Seats, upper level standing vantage points, staircase dwellers – a huge crowd lapped it up. Funkin’ great! The regular boys  - Dave Wilde, Richard Burns, Steve Glendinning and the great Chris Jelly – were joined by super-tight engine room deps. More! More!
Russell
* Ace pianist Paul Edis filled in on drums. A youth band short of a drummer? There has to be a joke in there somewhere. PS Don’t give up your day job, Dr Edis!

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