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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17755 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 76 of them this year alone and, so far, 1 this month (Feb.1).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Lewis Watson Quartet @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Latin jazz/top-rated dance bands.
Thu 06: Rose Room @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 06: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Helen Barber (vocals) & Alex Moon (piano).
Thu 06: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. Guests: Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Donna Hewitt (alto sax); Kevin Eland (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. The session is now monthly, first Thursday in the month.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Old Lowlight, Clifford’s Fort, North Shields NE30 1JE. 7:00pm. £15.00. + bf. www.oldlowlight.co.uk. SOLD OUT!
Fri 07: Stuart Turner Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Jazz, blues, Americana etc.
Fri 07: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 07: Rose Room @ Wylam Institute. 8:00pm. £19.67.
Fri 07: John Rowland Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 08: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’.
Sat 08: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra event. All welcome.

Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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, October 11, 2015

Noel Dennis & Dean Stockdale @ The Jazz Café. Oct 10

Noel Dennis (trumpet & flugelhorn) & Dean Stockdale (piano)
(Review by Russell)
A first duo gig for Noel Dennis and Dean Stockdale. You’d never have guessed. It takes the talents of two first class musicians to make it work and this Jazz Café meeting was a major success. Hailing from the Deep South (the Tees Delta region) Dennis, trumpet and flugelhorn, and pianist Stockdale, performed as if they were long-time musical associates.
Beautiful Love, Tom Harrell’s Moon Alley, There is No Greater Love. Three immaculate tunes to begin the evening’s entertainment. Noel Dennis’ tone, clarity and unfailing taste are the hallmarks of his superbly crafted solos; an innate sense of construction, inventive, free-flowing ideas. Dean Stockdale at the house upright responded to every nuance, twist and surprise, and reminded the Jazz Café audience of his own creative abilities playing a number of outstanding solos.
Mingus’ Nostalgia in Times Square, Round Midnight and, as Dennis rightly suggested, an apposite Autumn Leaves (the trumpeter with Harmon mute on the latter) enthralled a Pink Lane audience oblivious to partying rugby fans on the streets of Newcastle. An interested listener took the opportunity to talk all things brass with Dennis during the interval, some recharged a glass, some turned their attention to a yet-to-be-solved broadsheet crossword.
A Stockdale arrangement of Joyspring began the second set where the first left off – class playing, the duo’s listening ear, relaxing into one another’s company. Love for Sale heard two marvellous solos – take it as read, throughout the evening all solos were marvellous!
A ballad is another of Dennis’ strengths (his occasional small combo gigs with Blaydon’s Roly Veitch set the standard) and Everything Happens to Me illustrated the point. Having stated that all the solos were marvellous – and to reiterate, they were – Blue Monk really did feature outstanding solos from Dennis and Stockdale, pianist Stockdale dazzling with walking bass lines, stride patterns, the lot. Stella by Starlight never fails, and to close out a most enjoyable set, the duo of Dennis and Stockdale left us with Au Privave.
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Earlier, at the Vermont Hotel, Ruth Lambert and Stuart Collingwood entertained rugby fans. Scots, of the kilted variety, were in post match party mode. Painted faces, hangovers guaranteed, the Songbook master class, for the most part, passed them by. Lambert sang, perched on a high stool. Collingwood accompanied at the piano. Summertime, Stella by Starlight, The Shadow of Your Smile, a smattering of applause from some, appreciated by your BSH correspondent for sure. Tunes ranged from Stormy Weather to Sunnyside of the Street (a fair summation of the weather of late) as a prior engagement approached (a Jazz Café gig). Vermont Hotel gigs are well worth catching. Free admission Fridays at 4:30pm Saturdays at 7:00pm and two o’clock Sundays.                
Russell.           

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