Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 2026)

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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

From This Moment On

September.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Tue 22: ???

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 24: Arun Ghosh @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £21.05. (£22.00. on the door). A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 24: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 25: Mark Williams Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Get the Blessing + Dilettante @ The Cluny (Cluny 2), Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00. + bf. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 25: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 26: Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter: Play Mary Lou Williams @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 26: John Pope Quintet + Urvashi @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.40. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

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.
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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!

Saturday, April 18, 2015 4:36:00 pm

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