Bebop Spoken There

Warne Marsh: "At some point, you have to be prepared to create—to perform. It's vital, man, if we're talking about jazz, the original jazz, the performing art. It fulfils its meaning only when you play it live in front of an audience." DownBeat January 1983.

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

18191 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 45 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 14), 45

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: 2025 obituaries.
Thu 22: Ronnie Scott’s Soho Songbook @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Thu 22: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta. @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors). £6.50 (inc. bf).

Fri 23: Sue Ferris Quintet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 24: An Evening with Will Todd @ Durham Cathedral. 7:30pm. Feat. Voices of Hope, Strictly Smokin’ Big Band (members of) & Alice Grace. Performance inc. Todd’s Jazz Missa Brevis. £25.50., £13.50., £19.50., £10.50.

Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Alexia Gardner Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

Mon 26: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 27: Pete Roth Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm. Feat. Bill Bruford.

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, April 18, 2015

Paul Skerritt Band @ The Jazz Café - April 17.


Paul Skerritt (vcl); James Harrison (pno); Anth Ord (bs gtr); Tom Chapman (dms).
(Review by Lance).
A Skerritt gig is never 'ordinary' - it's a 'happening'! To be more precise it's an occasion when anything can happen and invariably does - as our photo shows!
Entertainment is the name of the game with these guys and they provide it without loss of musical integrity (whatever that is!)
Put simply, they enjoy what they're doing and that enjoyment, being infectious, rubs off on the audience who willingly go along for the riotous ride.
The material may not always be the standard GASbook fare but, whatever it may go in as, it usually comes out swinging.
With Skerritt's vocals, Harrison's musical shenanigans and the engine room being stoked by Chapman and Ord, how could it not?
Come Fly With Me got us airborne followed by L-O-V-E and a feature for Anth Ord on All About That Bass - shame we couldn't have had Meghan Trainor along as part of the package but Anth did good.
Michael Jackson provided The Way You Make me Feel and Harrison kicked seven shades out of this one as indeed he did on everything except sometimes he kicked more than seven.
Stepping Out With my Baby; an up-tempo Witchcraft; Don't Get Around Much Anymore; I'm Beginning to See the Light and Titanium - a new one to me - rounded off a superb first set.
Grainger Bitter - was it named after the area or The Caff's incumbent bass player I wonder? - went down well, it has great healing properties.
I Wanna be Like You brought King of the Swingers Tom Chapman into the spotlight; Daft Punk's Get Lucky brought a dancing couple who, in their spare time, probably give dancing lessons to Dervishes.
The trio did a solo spot on a Ramsey Lewis type number before Paul gave us his now familiar reworking of The Gentleman/Lady is a Tramp. It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing saw James providing the do-wa-do-wa bits. 
American Girl (Boy); Crazy Little Thing Called Love; Let The Good Times Roll and Sway brought a fun packed evening to a close.
Quite a night!
Photos.
Lance.

1 comment :

Lance said...

I forgot to mention the surreal moment when James was playing the house upright with one hand and the keyboard with the other!

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