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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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Jazz Café Jam Session - Dec. 15

Pete Gilligan (pno); Mike Clarke (bs gtr). Paul Wight (dms); Bradley Johnston (gtr) + Gary Brown (bs gtr); Stu Finden (ten); Matt MacKellar (dms); Paul Gowland (alt); John Pope (bs); George Anyfantis (pno);Rob Bates (dms); Lindsay Hannon, Jen Errington (vcl).
(Review by Lance).
Mike Clarke on bass guitar tonight who, along with Messrs Gilligan and Wight, opened with the very appropriate A Foggy Day. At first it seemed as though the misty conditions outside were going to keep the punters indoors - as if! By the time Alice in Wonderland unfolded (with a very melodic bass solo from Clarke) the Mad Hatters and March Hares were propping up the bar and occupying the seating area. So What? Dear Old Stockholm and Blue Monk followed before the first of the many switcheroo's common to jam sessions.
Guitarist Bradley Johnston, tenorman Stu Finden and and bass guitarist Gary Brown joined Gilligan and Wight for Blue Bossa and The Chicken. Brown, making his Jazz Café debut, proved to be au fait with the Pastorius classic and soloed well.
The southpaw kit was rearranged for young Matt MacKellar to take over, Paul Gowland joined Stu in the front line and a spirited Bye Bye Blackbird followed by (I think) Solar . Next up John Pope and Rob Bates for Tangerine, Gowland leading the field with great solos all round although the seemingly obligatory 4's didn't quite gel - no clockwork orange this tangerine but that's jam sessions for you and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Gowland gave us a version of Polka Dots and Moonbeams that surely left any aspiring sax players star-struck, before George Anyfantis took over on piano for All of Me and the Black Orpheus thing.
Up to now there had been no vocals although the Indigo Jazz Voices were assembled at the back of the room. 
Hello Lindsay Hannon!
I Only Have Eyes For You she sang swingingly and then the miracle!
You've Changed (The sparkle in your eyes has gone/Your smile is just a careless yawn/Your breaking my heart/You've changed). The room went quiet, the carousers momentarily ceased carousing! As I said, a miracle!
It took guts and no shortage of courage to follow that but Indigo Jen Errington proved up to the task with a splendid East of the Sun. It was at this point that I had to head east myself. It had been yet another fine jam session - the last jam at the Jazz Café this year.
Photos.
Lance.

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

And after Lance left, Jen rounded the evening off well with 'When Sunny Gets Blue'.
Ann Alex

Russell said...

How good was Jen, eh? Great, and she followed Lindsay!

Jen said...

Thanks so much for your comments. It's good getting positive feedback and gives me the confidence needed to may be get up at the Caff again sometime!
Jen

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