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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Mississippi MacDonald @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Blues.
Sat 22: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm. £16.50. SOLD OUT!
Sat 22: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Jazz Co-op @ The Globe: The Anita Wardell Quartet - Saturday May 9

Anita Wardell (vocals); Robin Aspland (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Tristan Mailliot (drums)
(Review by Ann Alex)
After reviewing the Rebecca Dumaine CD, I thought I’d had more than my fair share of listening to really good women singers, then along comes this gig with Anita Wardell. ‘Sparkling’ is a word that comes to mind, not a superficial sparkle but something about charisma, stage presence, original- sounding vocalese, and an interesting mix of songs. I’ll skip straight to the 2nd set which opened with my favourite song of the night, Ellington’s Come Sunday, new to me.  You could have heard the proverbial pin drop as this beautiful song proceeded, a jazz-hymn if ever there was one, accompanied just by piano, referring to the Biblical lilies of the field, ‘but the sun still shines in Springtime’.
The gig had started with a real buzz, a crowded bar, including people who’d been to Anita’s singing course during the day – the 2nd day of the course is taking place as I write. Who Can I Turn To, began slowly with voice and piano, then a neat pick-up by the rest of the band, swinging along, and these musicians know their stuff.  Lots of long solos with the songs, skilled piano adding flows to the sparkle, Paul on bass who seems to have done lots of gigs lately (possibly the hardest working bassist around, at least this last week); and the drummer, especially enjoyable on the next song, Blossom Dearie’s They Say it’s Spring, pleasant, clanky, tappy, spring-like sounds from the kit.  Then came Horace Silver’s Lonely Woman, sung with immense feeling; a wordless scatty bebop song Tricotism involving the drums in 4’s, and perhaps, to my ears, 8’s.  Farmer’s Market followed, all about a woman who fell in love with someone who was selling peas, another bebop tune which has had words added to it.
I heard only 3 songs in the 2nd set, besides Come Sunday, there was Gershwin’s Soon and a feelingly sung Willow Weep For Me, which always reminds me of Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  It all probably got even better, but the metro called me home.  But now I’m off to hear the people on Anita’s course showing what they’ve learned – I hear she’s put them through their paces!
Ann Alex

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