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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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ 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

Friday, November 13, 2015

Laura Jurd's Dinosaur/Lab Trio @ the Lit and Phil - Nov.12

A Match and Fuse gig
Laura Jurd's Dinosaur: Laura Jurd (trumpet); Elliott Galvin (piano); Conor Chaplin (electric bass); Corrie Dick (drums).
Lab Trio: Bram de Looze (piano); Anneleen Boehme (double bass); Lander Gyselinck (drums).
(Review by Steve H/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew).
Laura Jurd has visited Tyneside several times in recent years and on Wednesday night she returned to the Lit and Phil with an original line up which had not previously played here before. The band rebranded as Dinosaur proved to be anything but extinct. The set started off safely and pleasantly with all 4 musicians demonstrating their considerable talents both collectively and individually. 
Laura then introduced a piece she had previously played in Newcastle with a string quartet whilst also explaining that Conor Chaplin’s electric bass had somehow got left behind, luckily local hero bass supremo Andy Champion was able to provide a suitable replacement.  
The rendition of Happy Sad Song proved to be one of the musical highlights of the year each member of the band reaching uncharted territory as the music swirled and soared gloriously throughout the auditorium. The playing seemed to move through all the different musical genres – classical, funk, free jazz, bebop and back again. Jurd’s use of electronics with the trumpet were marvellously innovative. At the end of the extended piece the audience were completely enthralled - the collective work of the quartet having inspired and moved everybody present.
Earlier in the evening, we were treated to a performance by Lab Trio. Previously my 3 favourite Belgians were Rene Magritte, Plastic Betrand and Tin Tin (given the nature of the blog we must also mention saxophone inventor Adolphe Sax), De Looze, Boehme and Gyselinck will now need to be added to this illustrious list. The trio, almost Jarrettesque in style, played a mixture of original and covers to great effect. Unfashionably communicative for a bass player, Boehme introduced band members and the tunes played. The range went from Bach to the theme from Twin Peaks . On their original composition Two Polar Bears, Boehme enhanced the instrumental with some atmospheric vocals. The final piece of the trio’s set took me a while to work out but it was a charming interpretation of 80’s pop legend Rick Astley’s Never Going to Give You Up.
Between the two sets, as is customary with Match and Fuse gigs, a combination of the bands merge together for a collective improvisation. On this particular evening we were entertained by a combination of Jurd and Dick from Dinosaur and Boehme and de Looze from Lab Trio.
Steve H.

2 comments :

Unknown said...

Pssssttt it's Boehme ;)

Lance said...

Apologies. Editorial errors now corrected.

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