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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17719 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 39 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Jan. 15).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Sun 19: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. ‘Glenn Miller & the Rat Pack Era’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 19: Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 19: Nick Ross Orchestra @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Sun 19: Freight Train (Tobin/Noble/Clarvis) @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 19: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ 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

Monday, September 28, 2015

Jazz Co-op @ The Globe: Bradley Johnston Quartet - September 26

Bradley Johnston (guitar); Pete Gilligan (keys); Paul Grainger (bass); Tim Johnston (no relation, drums)
(Review by Ann Alex/Photo by Roly Veitch from recent Blaydon gig.).
Many of you will have enjoyed hearing this quartet as part of the Jazz Cafe Tuesday jam sessions.  Imagine this same band, but with their performance upped by about 200 per cent, and you’ll have an idea of last night’s gig, which attracted a large audience.  A gig of standards, bop and the occasional original tune, long accomplished solos (I noticed lots of wonderfully bent notes on guitar and bass), with arresting sudden endings to some tunes, enough to make the audience sit up a bit straighter in their seats.
It was right in with Have You Met Miss Jones?, led by guitar, solos all round, and 4s on the drums, and drummers usually have to wait through quite a few tunes before they get their special moment, but not in this band.  Then came a boppy Doxy which was when I noticed all the lovely bendy notes; an original called Pat’s Waltz, then Falling Grace and a tuneful serene rendering of Ellington’s In A Sentimental Mood.  There followed two up tempo numbers for contrast, There’ll Never Be Another You and a Latin tune, Michel Petruciani’s Looking Up
The second set gave us 6 tunes and an encore demanded by the audience, starting with All The Things You Are; during In A Mellow Tone, someone remarked that the long bass solo was the best solo he’d ever heard Paul G play; I noticed some interesting quirky tones from the guitar as well.  There followed Joy Spring; the classic All Blues, with Peter at the top end of the piano, marvellous fast notes, so high up that I was wondering if he was playing some notes right off the top end that only dogs could hear!  Next came Charlie Parker’s Donna Lee, which had been included at Pete’s suggestion, ended by one of those sudden stops which I mentioned earlier.  The last number was John McKee, and the encore was a fast and furious Scrapple From The Apple.
A very enjoyable evening’s music, with quite a few tunes which were new (to me at any rate) which increases my listening repertoire nicely.
Ann Alex  

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