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HOWAY THE LADS!

Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17873 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 194 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (March 14).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Sat 15: Hot Teapots @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 15: Lagos to Longbenton + Belladonna @ Whitley Bay Big Social, Whitley Road, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Afrobeat/jazz fusion + soul/funk/R&B
Sat 15: Creakin’ Bones @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Is This Jazz? @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk. Performances by Mu Quintet, Jinjé, A Brief Utopia, John Pope & Co + André Marmot (author of Unapologetic Expression: The Inside Story of the UK Jazz Explosion) in conversation + DJ sets ‘til 3:00am. ‘A Festival of New Jazz’.
Sat 15: Vintage Explosion @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 15: Alligator Gumbo @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Sat 15: One Night Standards @ The White Room, Stanley. 8:00pm. £8.67 (inc. bf). Note - previously advertised Salty Dogs cancelled.
Sat 15: Howlin’ Mat @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Blues guitar.

Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: Pearl Blossoms @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime.
Sun 16: Hot 8 Brass Band @ Wylam Brewery. 7:30pm. ‘Big Tuba Tour’.
Sun 16: ARQ @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 16: Air4ce @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (8:00pm doors). £12.00.; £10.00. Tom Atkinson’s all-star band (line-up inc. Lindsay Hannon & Sue Ferris).
Sun 16: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Jamie Toms Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.
Tue 18: Phil Bancroft’s Beautiful Storm @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20 & £11.00.. A JNE-Gem Arts co-promotion.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Nicknames.
Thu 20: Terri Green Experience @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.90.
Thu 20: Lindsay Hannon Trio @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Hannon’s ‘Tom Waits for No Man’ set.
Thu 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Giles Strong Quartet @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 21: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Featuring special guest Martin Litton (piano).

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 09, 2015

The Dave Weisser Orchestra @ The Chilli. April 8

Dave Weisser (trumpet & vocals), Ray Johnson (trumpet & flugelhorn), Don Forbes (trumpet), Dougie Fielder (tenor saxophone), Rachel Richman (alto saxophone), Tom Lapworth (guitar), Steve Whitfield (keyboards), Barrie Ascroft (bass) & Norman Redhead (drums) + second set Ian Forbes (drums) & Gerry Vega (guitar)
(Review by Russell).
Take it to the Bridge at the Chilli has its nights and this was one of them. Orchestral proportions on the stand, Dave Weisser happily enquired time and again: Okay guys, what’s next? knowing that the guys in the band would come up with something good. Last week’s arctic conditions a distant memory as Heaton’s number one real ale pub basked in late evening spring sunshine, spirits were high and some – no names Peter - were high on spirits.
Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gigi Gryce, Stanley Turrentine – as composers they offered a wide spectrum of material and the orchestra’s soloists stepped up to the mark with no little relish. Ray Johnson (trumpet) hit the ground running, others followed his lead in making positive statements. A Dave Weisser vocal intro on Without a Song faced two interruptions from his band mates as workshop democracy discussed tempo and the doubling of bars. Agreement reached, DW sang and played strong trumpet. A nonet formed with the arrival of Don Forbes and Rachel Richman. Jive Samba prospered as Johnson and Forbes (trumpets) upped the ante, the rhythm section responded and the horn-lead ensemble flourished.
Frank Foster’s Simone opened the second set and introduced newcomer Gerry Vega. Forbes D soloed, then Johnson on flugelhorn, altoist Rachel Richman and tenor man Dougie Fielder. Forbes D turned round to guitarist Vega, nodded – Your turn! The new boy gave it a shot, winging it as he went. No matter, the Dave Weisser workshop thrives on moments like this. GV is on board! He’ll be back. 
Wayne Shorter’s One by One vied with one or two other tunes for ‘highlight of the night’. Fabulous trumpet from Don Forbes, equally fabulous piano from Steve Whitfield and Vega hung in there. Ian Forbes, a marvel of modern jazz, did the business, then upped and left. 
The redoubtable Norman Redhead resumed engine room duties alongside the immaculate bass playing of Barrie Ascroft. I Fall in Love Too Easily (a GAS book gem) heard mellifluous flugel from Johnson, muted Weisser trumpet and a considered solo from Richman. Limehouse Blues was to be the set closer. Was…the parts went astray. Blue Monk suggested Richman, the nonet settled for Straight No Chaser. A raft of solos, guitarist Tom Lapworth’s the pick of them. Thanks to Peter for his frequent interjections (a line or two from a song, vocal encouragement for the soloists) adding to the evening’s entertainment.              
Russell.

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