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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Thursday, April 02, 2015

Take it to the Bridge @ The Chillingham. April 1

Dave Weisser (trumpet & vocals), Ray Johnson (trumpet & flugelhorn), Roy Stephenson (guitar), Tom Lapworth (guitar), Fardin Esfandiari (guitar), Steve Whitfield (keyboards & vocals), Barrie Ascroft (bass) & Norman Redhead (drums) + second set Don Forbes (trumpet)
(Review by Russell)
The Chilli was never better named. A freezing cold night with the upstairs room heating system broken. The heating engineer wouldn’t come out until the next day – perhaps the cold weather was a deterrent! To make matters worse an air vent steadfastly remained in an open position. Curtains drawn, winter coats on, Dave Weisser and co started on time.
Two full sets. Stolen Moments (Steve Whitfield solo), Line for Lyons (Whitfield scatting, a Barrie Ascroft bass solo with excellent comping from guitarist Tom Lapworth). Fardin Esfandiari (guitar) said he’d been in the woodshed. He played Ladybird. He did just fine as Ray Johnson weighed in with a good trumpet solo and drummer Norman Redhead did the necessary with brushes in hand. Esfandiari stayed on to play Cantaloupe Island, lead by Ray Johnson’s assured trumpet.
Blues March heard Whitfield in Jimmy McGriff mode, Don Forbes (trumpet) contributed and Lapworth laid down a great solo. The weekly Chilli comedy interlude is worth the £1 admission. Veteran piano man Barrie Ascroft spent the afternoon writing out a guitar part for Green Bossa (as you do). Lapworth decided to count it in: A one, two, a one.. Ascroft: How do you know the tempo? Johnson: No authority! They played it. Lapworth shone as he read the part looking over bassist Ascroft’s shoulder (Ascroft’s afternoon labours were for nought as the guitar part couldn’t be found!). A further comic escapade heard Ascroft the Irascible declare: It [the tune] wasn’t fine at all. It was crap!
Esfandiari returned to play The Preacher. Johnson lead, the ‘After You Claude’ guitarists FE and Roy Stephenson were reluctant to follow, so it was down to Don Forbes (trumpet) to grab a solo and maintain momentum. Workshop leader Dave Weisser kept an eye on things, dipping in and out throughout the evening. A bold Love for Sale settled down with a Johnson flugelhorn solo abetted by Redhead’s ‘just so’ brushes. Time was getting on – a Weisser vocal on On Green Dolphin Street wrapped things up and it was time to head out onto the freezing street called Chillingham Road. Another good night at the (freezing) Chilli.       
Russell.      

2 comments :

OxenOrb said...

Great write up

Ray Johnson said...

Thanks Russell. Comedy plays a part in a good jam.

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