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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

18037 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 458 of them this year alone and, so far, 36 this month (June 11).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sun 15: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm.
Sun 15: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Hannah Brine Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:30pm. Free. Concert performance (open to the public)..
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00.

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: David Gray's Flextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’.br/> Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. 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

Saturday, June 06, 2015

Back to Bataan - Joe Bataan Band @ Hoochie Coochie - June 5

Joe Bataan (vcl/keys); Chris Frank (gtr); Justin Latino (alt/ten); Reuben Fowler (tpt) Mark Patto (keys); Andres Castellanos (bs gtr); Alex Reeves (dms); Andy Davie (perc); Yvonne (vcl/perc).
(Review by Lance).
Some bands build up to a peak whilst others start at the top and stay there - the Joe Bataan Band belonged to the latter category. They hit the deck running and the packed room was dancing after about 4 bars!
A contribution by Hoochie to the !Vamos! Festival, this was one of those adrenalin pumping nights that raises your pulse rate into astronomic figures and takes about 3 days to return to normal.
The veteran Bataan - 50 years an entertainer - refused to define his music as Latin, Soul or any other genre preferring to settle for World Music which, in a sense - like folk - applies to all music. The J word wasn't mentioned but when Latino and Fowler blew you were hearing jazz of the highest calibre - likewise Patto and Frank.
Bataan - surely one of the greatest acts on the Hoochie Roll of Fame - laid down soulful versions of, among others, Be My Lady Tonight; Gypsy Moon - his first hit back in 1967 - An Ordinary Guy; Street Life  and the most amazing version ever of I Wish You Love. Done over a fast Latin groove this had amazing solos all round with a particularly powerful blast from Patto. Fans of the Nat King Cole version may have called it sacrilege! If they did I'm not sure what they would say about the number that followed - The Lord's Prayer! After describing a near death experience Joe told the audience how he found God, hence the piece done over a rock rhythm and all the Hoochie Heathens were suddenly, at least for tonight, Born Again Cs!
And why not? Nobody complained when Mahalia Jackson sang it at Newport so why object to Joe at Hoochie?
But this was a night when music was the religion and, to quote the Hoochie slogan "Now every true music believer has their church" 
Amen!
Lance.

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