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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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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, September 20, 2015

Paul Edis & Graham Hardy @ The Jazz Café. September 19

Paul Edis (piano) & Graham Hardy (trumpet & flugelhorn)
(Review by Russell/Photo courtesy of Mike Tilley).
It was busy in town; an Indian summer’s day, the Toon stung by the Hornets, university hopefuls by the thousand visiting our seats of learning and staying over, South Tyneside rockers the Wildhearts packing out the Academy. The ‘jazz institute’ on Pink Lane, the Jazz Café that is, offered a free course in the art of jazz playing. Lecturers Paul Edis and Graham Hardy were gratified to see their ‘students’ made the effort to be in attendance, some taking notes!
This was, of course, another duo concert performance at the Jazz Café. Pianist Paul Edis teamed up with dapper brass man Graham Hardy (see photograph). Saturday evenings in the Caff are intimate affairs; just the two of them and their audience. Brotherhood of Man and Black and Tan Fantasy (Hardy muted) opened the programme. A couple of originals followed – You Talkin’ to Me? (this one would have come in useful later in the evening) and Boot Tree Blues (referencing Heaton Park’s community arts creation). Pianist Edis, as usual, got the best out of the house upright Hyundai and Hardy reminded us why he is an in demand brass player, equally adept on flugelhorn as trumpet.
Kenny Wheeler’s For Jan, with a waltz-like feel, featured flugelhorn (the late Canadian’s compositions have, of late, featured in set lists at several gigs). Audience numbers grew, the garrulous prominent amongst them, as the first set culminated with a brace of tunes – the first of which prompted the question ‘Who wrote it?’ Edis’ sheet music said M. Davis whereas Hardy’s indicated W. Shorter. Your reviewer sided with the latter. Late night post-gig research suggested the latter, Wayne Shorter. Oh, the tune…ESP. The musicianship of the highest order, the duo upped the ante on Parisian Thoroughfare. Superb playing, worth the admission charge, had there been one.
Second set the place was heaving. A minor expletive deleted spat between two patrons – a rare occurrence indeed – threatened to get out of hand. Oh, for De Niro’s one-liner! In time honoured fashion, the band played on. And how! Passion Dance heard playing as if commanded by the Axeman of Jazz! The ‘You lookin’ at me?’ stand off at the bar a long-forgotten side show, an Edis/Hardy arrangement of My Funny Valentine took a new look at the classic number – impressive! Edis at the Jazz Café wouldn’t be Edis without Monk and trumpeter Hardy was more than happy to comply – flat cap in place of pork pie (see photograph). JS Bach made it onto the set list; a two part invention (no.4). Fantastic! In an instant we had a trio of improvisers – Edis, Hardy and Bach. The Baroque in a bar on a Saturday night. To close, Edith Piaf. La Vie en Rose. Huge applause. ‘You lookin’ for jazz? You got it at the Jazz Café.
Earlier a short visit to the Vermont Hotel found the place doing good business. A seven o’clock engagement with Ruth Lambert in the company of Teessider Jeremy McMurray served as an aperitif. Some Where over the Rainbow as defined by Ms Lambert. Perched on a bar stool, pianist McMurray the sensitive accompanist at her side, Lambert’s love of the Gas Book evident. A mischievous hotel guest asked: Do you know any Nirvana? Of course, replied Lambert, but not on this occasion. An interval chat with the duo; rugger, football, cliff-hanging houses, grand pianos and Dolly Parton. Lambert and McMurray had to get back to work, the Jazz Café beckoned. Lover Man. Class at the Vermont.            
Russell            

1 comment :

stevebfc said...

Great playing but I bet St James Park was quieter than cacophony raised by some of the drinkers at the back.

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