Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (DownBeat May, 2026)

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

18548 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 412 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 19) 66

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

From This Moment On

May

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Jordan Jackson @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.80 (inc. bf); £15.40 (inc. bf).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Jazz Classics with Rivkala @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Rivkala (vocals); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Thu 21: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 22: Paul Skerritt @ Market Place, Durham. From 12 noon. Free. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Fri 22: Paul Edis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00. Edis, Andy Champion, Steve Hanley.
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 22: Paul Edis Trio @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £TBC. Edis, Andy Champion, Steve Hanley.

Sat 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall. 2:00pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 23: Paul Edis @ Core Music, Gilesgate, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00. A Core Music fundraiser, Hexham Jazz Weekender Day/Weekend ticket not applicable. Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sat 23: Blyth Big Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 6:30pm. £9.00., £5.00.
Sat 23: Paul Edis & Friends @ Musicwonders, Church Chare, Chester-le-Street. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £15.00. www.musicwonders.org. BYOB. SOLD OUT!
Sat 23: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Queen’s Hall Hexham. 7:00pm. £13.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sat 23: TC & the Groove Family + Lagos to Longbenton @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sat 23: Davina & the Vagabonds @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £22.00. + £1.50 bf.
Sat 23: Celebrating Wes Montgomery @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 8:15pm. £14.00., £12.00. Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sat 23: Chris Coull’s Porgy & Bess @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 9:30pm. £16.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.

Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 24: SwanNek @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £11.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sun 24: Salty Dog @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free. Donations.
Sun 24: Ben Crosland’s Threeway @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. £13.50 (inc. bf). Line-up inc. Steve Waterman. Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sun 24: Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Street Brass Band Bonanza: The Fanfare + Storytellers + Tenth Avenue Band @ The Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £10.00., £8.00.
Sun 24: Charlie Parr @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50. Blues. Jumpin’ Hot Club.
Sun 24: Olly Styles Experience @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.
Sun 24: Finn-Keeble Group @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 8:15pm. £13.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender. Feat. Jamil Sheriff.
Sun 24: Modern Vikings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 9:30pm. £16.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.

Mon 25: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 26: Noel Dennis Sextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00. A Miles Davis centenary concert (Davis b. 26. 5. 1926). Noel Dennis (trumpet); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums). SOLD OUT!
Tue 26: Lagos to Longbenton @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Friday, November 27, 2015

Sinatraland - Sage Gateshead. Nov. 26

Claire Martin, Liane Carroll, Ian Shaw (vcl) w. BBC Big Band; Mark Nightingale (MD) inc. Martin Shaw, Brian Rankine (tpt); John Higginbotham, Gordon Campbell, Ashley Horton (tmb); Steve Main, Jamie Anderson, Howard McGill, Jay Craig, Stewart Forbes (reeds); Robin Aspland (pno);  Tommy Emmerton (guitar); Dave Whitford (bs); Tom Gordon (dms).
Didn't get the full personnel, it differed from anticipated line-up.
(Review by Lance).
Has the Sinatra Centenary bubble finally burst? judging by last night's poor turn out it may well have. Not surprising as it has been running in one form or another throughout the world since January in halls large and small and it's now almost December in one of the biggest halls of all!*
Claire Martin did the announcing and provided the highlight of the evening with as emotive a reading of In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning as you will hear anywhere. Accompanied by just guitar and bass this was something I doubt if even Frank could have bettered.
Ian Shaw sang It's a Lonesome Old Town adding "Just like Gateshead"! Liane Carroll (pictured left) sang a sensitive version of How Insensitive and all three closed the show with Lady is a Tramp. There were, of course, many more songs from the Sinatra repertoire but the above gives the general flavour.
Personally, I'd like to have heard Shaw and Carroll** in their more familiar setting - playing piano and singing - at times the balance didn't do them any favours.
Bandwise, Martin Shaw (pictured right), Sammy Mayne, Jamie Anderson, Howard McGill and John Higginbotham were among the soloists. Martin Shaw playing relaxed flugel on All or Nothing at All.
A curate's egg I think.
Lance.
* The concert not being listed in the Sage Gateshead Sept.-Nov. brochure may have also been a contributing factor as a friend pointed out to me.
* *Liane Carroll is back in April.
at

4 comments :

Hugh C said...

Reading between the lines, I think your impression (Lance) was similar to mine. Given the quality of the individual performers and the band, I would have expected more. It never quite got off the ground somehow. This was not helped by the sound - far too much reverb on the singers' mikes and many of the instrumental solos could not be heard properly.
I moved after the interval to avoid sweetie-packet rustlers in one of the "boxes", to find myself sat in front of a couple who insisted on having a conversation through the full second half. I might have enjoyed the second half better without the running commentary!

Friday, November 27, 2015 5:51:00 PM
Peter Bevan said...

Entirely agree about the sound - the amplification did neither the singers or the band any good.
Felt like the audience was there as an afterthought and it will be interesting to hear how much better the sound is when it's broadcast on Radio 3.
On the personnel I think you may be able to add Gordon Campbell & Ashley Horton (tb), Tom Gordon (d), Stewart Forbes (bar & b-cl), and Dave Whitford (b) who with the guitarist was one of the best musicians on the night.
Also think Claire announced Steve Main rather than Sammy Mayne.
Peter Bevan
You can see more of what I thought in the Darlington & Stockton Times in 2/3 weeks.

Monday, November 30, 2015 9:02:00 PM
Lance said...

Thanks Peter it was one of those gigs that didn't get off the ground for me. I had him down as Steve but assumed it was Sammy! - Doh! Apologies to all concerned.

Monday, November 30, 2015 9:23:00 PM
Hugh said...

I have now listened to the broadcast - much better sound balance, and no reverb!

I noted Claire Martin's poetic licence - "the capacity crowd here"...

... much the same as the capacity crowd in the Commons when MPs "doughnut" around the member speaking for the benefit of the viewer(s) of live TV broadcast of debates.

Peter - could you post a link to your review in the Darlington and Stockton Times when it is published?

Sunday, December 13, 2015 9:24:00 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive