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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

17,533 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 497 of them this year alone and, so far, 75 this month (June 23).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Linskill Centre, North Shields. 4:00-10:30pm. Free, but ticketed (over 18s only). A multi-bill, multi-genre ‘Canny Shiels - North Shields 800’ event. Three Kings Brewery on site.
Sat 28: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 29: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 29: Bal Bruch Social Dance @ As You Like It, Sandyford, Newcastle. 12:30pm. Free. Dance event with Hot Club de Heaton performing live (2:00-3:00pm). A ‘Jar on the Bar’ event.
Sun 29: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 3:00pm. Ray McVay & co.
Sun 29: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 29: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 29: Zoë Gilby w. Ryton Choral Society @ Corbridge Middle School NE45 5HX. 5:30pm. £15.00. Gilby w jazz trio & choir. ‘An evening of jazz song for choir’.
Sun 29: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 29: John Wilson & the Sinfonia of London @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Greatest Hits’.
Sun 29: Out Front @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

JULY 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

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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