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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
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: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 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 @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

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

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

CD Review: Scott Hamilton & Jeff Hamilton Trio - Live in Bern

Scott Hamilton (ten); Tamir Hendelman (pno); Christof Luty (bs); Jeff Hamilton (dms).
(Review by Lance).
What a delightful disc! In an age where every young musician is a 'composer' striving to stretch the boundaries of our music this comes as a relief to know that there are guys still minding the store.
The unrelated Hamiltons mind the store as good as anyone. They know what they're selling and Scott Hamilton is one of the very best in the quality control dept. of a store that holds musical riches beyond the dreams of avarice (misquote from The Maltese Falcon!).
The natural successor to past greats such as, say, Ike Quebec, Zoot Sims or Don Byas he brings the songs' qualities to the fore - qualities that some of the composers themselves probably didn't realise their 'babies' possessed! Magical tenor playing that, despite the age of the material, sounds as fresh today as if I was hearing it for the first time.
Recorded live in Bern, Switzerland, by Capri, the two Hamilton's swing like as though it was going out of fashion! Believe you me, going by this record, it's very much back in fashion! Hamilton [Jeff] is described as a 'drummer's drummer'. Yeah, maybe, but I think Scott would describe him as a 'drummer for all sessions'. He keeps Scott on the ball throughout - not one fumble. Then there's Hendelman - as good a piano man as you'd want on any gig. His comping is on the money every bar of the way and his solos would make the album worthwhile even if Scott hadn't been there! But he was and this makes it just so perfect. 
Sorry Christof, I always leave bassists to the last but, let's face it, if you weren't there this would drop down from a 5 star record to a 2½ star one. Your work on Key Largo personified the mood of this atmospheric Benny Carter piece. 
September in the Rain: All Through the Night; Watch What Happens; Soul Eyes (Mal Waldron); This Can't be Love; There'll be Some Changes Made; Sybille's Day (J. Hamilton); Key Largo; Woody 'n You (Dizzy); The Champ (Dizzy)*; Ballad for the Very Sad and Tired Lotus Eaters (Strayhorn); You and the Night and the Music; Centrepiece (Harry Edison).
A disc that reminds me that all is well!
Released byy Capri Records on October 20.
Lance
*Great to hear The Champ again. Back in the 1950's, if you were at a trad gig you demanded The Saints. If it was a modern gig you hollered for The Champ! Here, it is accredited to someone called Alan Hawkshaw - ignore it, Hawkshaw's Champ was in one of the lighter divisions and a totally different tune! Dizzy's was Marciano/Louis/Ali/Dempsey combined and these four guys [Hamiltons et co] are up there punching well above their weight (if that is possible!)

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