Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18083 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1047 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Dec. 14), 61.

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thu 25: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:00pm. ‘All About the Bass Sessions’. Alexia Gardner, Paula Gardner, Jude Murphy.

Fri 26: ???

Sat 27: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 27: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Jason Holcomb & co.

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00., £7.00. adv.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 31: Lil Miss Mary & the Mr Rights Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. ‘Early NYE Bash’. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues.
Wed 31: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. ‘Midnight in Manhattan’ NYE party. £49.46 (inc. bf) & £29.38 (inc. bf).

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 13, 2015

Zoë Gilby/Alan Law Duo @ the Jazz Café - Sept. 12

Zoë Gilby (voice); Alan Law (pno).
(Review by Cathy)
Is there no end to the girl’s talents? It would seem not.
For all of those who missed Saturday night’s gig at the Jazz Café (there were none of the usual scribes in attendance) I feel this is one event which should not pass by unheralded.
A goodly number of folk, most of them younger than the usual suspects, enjoyed a performance to remember. Zoe and Alan giving their renditions of The Beatles, interspersed with bossa novas from the American Song Book, was fantastic.

To name just a few from the many Beatles Albums, we had Girl, Yesterday, I Will (heartrending stuff) whilst some of the bossa’s included Nature Boy, One Note Samba and No More Blues.
Alan opened the second set with a fantastic version of She’s So Heavy (That got the ones talking at the far end of the bar to shut up – quite an achievement).
Zoe evoked many moods and there were smiles and laughter as she delivered her raunchy Sexy Sadie and Why Don’t We Do It in the Road. Fantastic indeed. A very feel good evening with shouts for more at the end, what could be better.
Why do people overlook the wonderful work of the Beatles? It has certainly stood the test of time, the younger audience lapped it up and the older ones were on cloud nine.
Thank You Zoe and Alan, please do it again soon.
Cathy.

5 comments :

Anne DeVere Harper (on F/b) said...

well done Zoe and Alan-----Wish we had been there!

Lance said...

Wow Kathy! - your review, networked on F/b, has so far had 12 likes and counting!

Alan Law said...

Thanks for the lovely review, it really worked well, Zoe was fabulous, as ever. It’s difficult to gauge how much to rearrange some of those iconic tunes, that are after all, national, and international treasures.
But we had a go, and it went much better than we could have hoped, and did feel like one of those special nights in the jazz cafe.
I thank you very much for taking the time to review it

Dave Parker said...

Zoe Gilby is running a course for jazz vocalists, with Alan Law on piano, starting at the Globe on Tuesday 22 September. Details here
http://jazz.coop/events/event/stronger-jazz-voices-course-2/

Russell said...

Great review Kathy. You must do more!

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