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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Thursday, December 24, 2015

King Bee @ Hoochie Coochie - Dec. 23


David Wilde (ten/fl/vcl); Chris Jelly (vbs/vcl); Richard Burns (tpt/vcl); Mark Hand (keys/vcl); Steve Glendinning (gfr/vcl); Dan Brady (bs gtr/vcl)); Jonathan Marriot (dms/vcl); Brendan Murphy (perc/vcl).
(Review by Lance).
We've had parties and we've had parties this Christmas, but this one! This was the party to end all parties! When King Bee decide to party they do it in style!
Each player dressed in biblical fashion eg: Murphy and Marriot were the two wise men (they couldn't find a third one). Brady, an angel (complete with halo). Glendinning (wore a coat of many colours), Jelly (not sure if he was King Herod or some other Bethlehem bigwig).  Mark Hand, dep keyboard man down from Glasgow, wore a crown of some sort (I really should have paid more attention in my Sunday School years). Richard Burns, the tallest member of the band, portrayed the infant Jesus (complete with straw from the manger around his neck). However, David Wilde, as the saxophone playing Virgin Mary, may have been miscast!
It was all good blasphemous fun and the music was great!
Lots of new material - Christmas based but none the worse for that. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman has become as much a jazz standard as Night in Tunisia.
The packed house loved every minute of it, dancing, shaking, applauding vociferously. The band responded by playing out of their skulls. Each and every one making this the Jazz Nativity of the Year.
The Magi had brought gold, frankincense and myrrh along with Tesco vouchers and a free night at the Cumberland Arms which were duly raffled although there seemed to be some confusion about the tickets - I didn't know there was a raffle until it was actually drawn!
Best gig of the last two thousand and fifteen years!
More pics.
Lance.

3 comments :

Unknown said...

It certainly was an absolutely banging gig. Musically tight as hell and certainly the funkyest Christmas party I've ever witnessed. I was however surprised to learn Richard Burns was from Australia and not indeed from Nazareth..... Great job from the King Bee Funkmeisters...

Hoochie Coochie said...

Sorry Lance keys were Marco Cafollo, Glasgow from the band Federation of the Disco Pimp

Lance said...

How did I get that one wrong?!

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