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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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Only Six Standards.
Thu 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Fri 18: Alexia Gardner @ Fika Gallery, Oldgate, Morpeth NE61 1LT. 7:00pm. Trio (Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy).RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13

Fri 18: Sarah Jane Morris & Tony Remy: The Sisterhood @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00.

Sat 19: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 19: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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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