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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

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.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

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

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

John Wilson Orchestra w. Matthew Ford & Louise Dearman @ Sage Gateshead

Hardly a jazz concert - Hall One was three tiers full and 'twill be the same tonight! However, there was a strong jazz presence amongst the 68 piece orchestra including Colin Oxley on guitar and drummer Matt Skelton.
The overture was a medley of just about all the well known Gershwin goodies bookended by snatches of Rhapsody in Blue. This indicated to me that we weren't going to be dealt a selection of done to death songs but some lesser known ones and, in the main, we were.
Treat me Rough from Girl Crazy brought Matthew Ford and Louise Dearman to the fore. They were in good voice. It's a great song. Mike Lovell blew trumpet and Harold McGill alto.
Louise hung around for a wistful But Not for Me. Including, as did most of the songs, the verse. Let's face it, why write a verse then have just about every other singer ignore it?
The duo then introduced us to another rarely heard piece of Gershwin - Could You Use Me?
The lyric's quite incredible: 
There's a chap I know in Mexico,
Who's strong as he can be,
Eats nails and drinks Texaco,
He's the type for me.
Yes George's music was great but Ira's lyrics weren't bad either!
Slap That Bass; They Can't Take That Away From me; I Was Doin' Alright (by Louise) led us to the interval and New York Rhapsody.
Now this is the moment when I move away from the 'isn't it great syndrome'. As a songwriter Gershwin ranks alongside the very greatest (Porter, Kern, Berlin, Rodgers etc) but, I've never quite got into his quasi classical composition and this one was no better than his more famous rhapsody. Having said that, Ian Buckle played it brilliantly and I felt privileged to hear what was a very rarely, if ever, played composition. Still...
Interval time. A quick hello to 3 of the guys (l-r) Colin (alto), Andy and Russell (trumpets).
Back in our seats, Matthew and Louise, now in a stunning figure-hugging dress that dispelled speculation that she may be preggers, Struck up the Band then Louise displayed her spot on pitching with an emotional How Long Has This Been Going on?  Matthew sang Let's Kiss and Make up - the latter two from the Astaire/Hepburn movie Funny Face then another big one from Louise - The Man I Love. Mark Crooks came down front and blew Lady be Good - the Artie Shaw arrangement. Matthew 'did Gene Kelly' with S'wonderful, Both singers made love moves in For You, For Me, Forever More then the show drew to a close with Shall We Dance/They All Laughed.
Of course it's never over until the fat lady sings except this afternoon it was the very slim, svelte, sophisticated Louise who sang Someone to Watch Over Me. Unaccompanied verse and first 16 bars before taking us out with as good a version as you'll hear in a lot of listening.
Oh yes, John Wilson! A Geordie Lad made good. His control of the 68 piece band a joy to watch and his announcements both humourous and informative. Carve his name alongside Alan Shearer, Sting and Eric Burdon.
Roll on next year.
Lance.
PS: Liz, up from York, and myself, up from Hebburn, enjoyed an after show chat with Ann Havis who just happened to be ex J.G.Windows... small world.

2 comments :

Liz said...

a wonderful afternoon, up to the usual John Wilson standard, I do like him , he has a very succinct way of addressing the audience, not over much, just enough to keep us in the loop without overdoing it. Lance said it all performance-wise...same time next year?

John Forster (on F/b) said...

Just got back from the evening gig. First class as usual.

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