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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17655 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 929 of them this year alone and, so far, 74 this month (Dec. 31).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 09: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: John H Hammond.
Thu 09: FILM: Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 2:35pm. Documentary (dir. Johan Grimonprez) ‘about jazz, (de)colonial history and activism featuring Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie’.
Thu 09: Happy Tuesdays @ Ye Olde Cross, Ryton. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 09: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 09: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. The session now monthly, next one Thursday 2nd Feb, then first Thursday in the month thereafter.

Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 11: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 11: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 12: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 12: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 12: King Bees @ The Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.
Sun 12: Dave Bottomley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.
Sun 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 13: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 13: Raymond MacDonald & Andy Champion @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Pete Gilligan/Chris Jelly Duo @ the Jazz Café - Nov. 28











Pete Gilligan (pno); Chris Jelly (vbs).
(Review, b&w photo, by Lance/colour photo courtesy of  Mike Tilley).
There have been many Saturday night duo sets at the Jazz Café - some worked well and some not so well. This surprise pairing was most deffo of the former variety - Gilligan and Jelly, gelled.
After an opening Blues in F to warm-up (and with the weather outside we all needed warming up!) the temperature rose by the note. Sonora, by Hampton Hawes, is a longtime Gilligan favourite and I guess it's now one of Jelly's.
As the session progressed so did the empathy increase. Not just between the two performers but between performer and audience.
Given the instrumentation it's not surprising that pieces by Gary Burton and Chick Corea were featured in the program. These included Corea's 500 Miles High and La Fiesta as well as Burton's Minor Blues.
The enigmatically titled Yo Yazz, composed by fellow vibist Emil Richards, was as quirky as the title suggests and showed both players to advantage. It wouldn't be a Pete performance without at least one piece of Silver (Horace) and the 3/4 time Summer in Central Park was (and still is) as beautiful a picture of that charismatic location as any I've heard.
There were others the titles of which I didn't catch - difficult when you're trying to order a bottle of Geordie Jazz and a couple of Pinot's!
This is one pairing to look out for next time round. In the meantime, Chris Jelly can be heard with soul/funk phenomena King Bee (Hoochie Coochie Dec. 23) whilst Pete Gilligan is back at the Jazz Café this Tuesday (Dec.1) for the fortnightly Jam Session - put both dates in your diary.
Lance.
PS: The wise folk at F/b tell me it's Pete's birthday today - Happy Birthday (in G) Pete.

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