Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 2026)

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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

From This Moment On

August

Thu 13: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 13: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! Back on Aug. 27.
Thu 13: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: John Settle Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. John Settle (vibes); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 14: Bold Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00 + bf.

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Soundbone plays Led Zep @ Jazz Café. September 25

Chris Grieve (trombone & electronics), Graeme Stephen (guitar & loops) & David Carnegie (drums)
(Review by Russell/Photos courtesy of Mike Tilley).
This was fun. A legendary rock band repackaged as a ‘jazz trio’. Led Zeppelin tapped into the National Grid to generate a trillion watts through Marshall stacks, Soundbone created a big sound of their own filtering trombone and guitar through a box of tricks.  Newcastle City Hall veterans were largely absent from the Jazz Café, oblivious to the goings on in the upstairs room, perhaps sitting at home with a curry listening to Black Dog, bemoaning the fact that things ain’t what they used to be.
Black Dog opened the show – you could have been here! – and the trio pulled it off! A seated Graeme Stephen carved out the Jimmy Page riff, Chris Grieve’s clip-mic ‘bone pulsatingly melodic, drummer David Carnegie dead-on, sub-Bonham sledgehammer.
Stephen and Grieve, two thirds NeWt (the band, not p***** as), recently joined forces with Barbadian, ex-Tyneside resident, David Carnegie to play the Zeppelin ‘songbook’ and it really does work. Moby Dick featured DC’s explosive drumming, Misty Mountain Hop surfaced from a looping swirl of sound and Communication Breakdown lacked one thing, and one thing only, Robert Plant’s inimitable rock god vocals.
Immigrant Song, the folkie Going to California, the charts-reading Soundbone trio had what we already knew – immense chops. The affable Grieve suggested singing along to the tunes was in order – the chances were the audience had beaten him to it. To close a thoroughly entertaining evening Soundbone stretched out on Kashmir; Graeme Stephen developed a brilliant solo, Grieve sang into his now detached mic and Carnegie drove a tight trio to the final stop chord.  
Russell.

No comments :

Blog Archive