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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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 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. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! 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.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. 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, December 13, 2015

Euan Burton Quartet @ The Globe - Dec. 12

Euan Burton (bass); Adam Jackson (alto); Tom Gibbs (piano); Alyn Cosker (dms).
(Review by Minnie Fraser/Photo courtesy of Steve Horowitz/Gavin).
The band arrived in good time despite the weather - apparently there was no snow in Glasgow. This was the last date of their UK tour which had seen them travel the length of the country from Aberdeen to Poole in Dorset. Sadly, a number of those who had been planning to attend were prevented by a heavy fall of snow. However, the audience who did make it were very appreciative.
Euan Burton, who played his amazing fold away double bass brilliantly, has assembled an excellent quartet. Tom Gibbs, seen recently with Brian Molley at the Globe, exemplary on piano, Adam Jackson, sublime on alto sax and Alyn Cosker provided precocious percussion at the kit.
Two sets of original music made all the more enjoyable by Euan's explanations of their meaning or what they were meant to evoke.

The Implication, a name greatly simplified after a reviewer had said the tune had the worst title they had ever heard of! Well, we don't have mean reviewers like that here, especially as we would like to welcome these guys back again sometime!  Who cares about the name anyway when the music is so amazing!  Cosker's drumming was incredibly skilful - using sticks, brushes, mallets and occasionally bare hands - producing a great variety of sound ranging from driving rhythms that dominated down to gentle stroking of snare and closed hi-hat in the quieter moments.
Jackson was exceptional on alto sax, displaying an incredible range of musical gymnastics, from smooth tuneful and gentle, to soaring runs and occasional staccato. Gibbs gave wonderful accompaniment on the piano, but his solos were well worth waiting for. Burton's excellent double bass underpinned all the music, but he really came into his own when soloing although he wasn't greedy in that respect despite having composer's prerogative.
The variety in Burton's compositions gave us a very entertaining evening. Six was a good example of variety in a single piece (this tune is called "six" because it is the sixth track on Burton's album "Occurrences").  This was introduced as a piece about being dumped and veering from angry hate to sad heartbreak. The moods in the piece were clearly identifiable in loud and dissonant anger resolving into tuneful contemplative quietness with mournful sax and piano accompanied by gentle bass and very quiet brushing on the drums.
Earlier in the set we were treated to Any Given Sunday a title inspired by the amount of good live music available on a Sunday in Glasgow. Burton then admitted that it was only the title that was this inspired and the music had nothing to do with that!  We soon forgave him when he said he would rename it Any Given Saturday and dedicated it to Jazz Coop at The Globe!
The Quartet finished the evening with South to evoke a place with a warm climate. This piece started off with a lovely bass and drums duet with Cosker making the most of his toms and cross-sticks. The piano and sax joined in tunefully with smooth melodies interspersed with staccato play/pause. This built up to a crescendo leading to an excellent drum solo using the whole kit where Cosker's sticks were a blur! Well-deserved applause finished the evening. CDs were in sale at the end and Burton said "Christmas is coming, what better present is there than a cd of progressive jazz by someone you have never heard of?"  
Well you have heard of him now!
Minnie.

2 comments :

Lance said...

Thanks Minnie, as one one of the 'weather wimps' please explain the 'fold away double bass.'

Minnie said...

I have never seen one before - he loosened the strings, slid something and disconnected the neck which was then stowed inside the body through a section of the back which lifts out. The leg at the bottom also went inside. He said it was the only way they could get everything into one car - which is important for all their travelling!

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