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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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

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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