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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

17755 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 76 of them this year alone and, so far, 1 this month (Feb.1).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 08: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’.
Sat 08: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra event. All welcome.

Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
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: 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.

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

The Misterioso Monk @ The Jazz Café – Dec 11

Graeme Wilson (tenor saxophone) & Paul Edis (piano)
(Review by Russell/Photo courtesy of Mike Tilley from a previous gig.)
The Jazz Café’s newly tuned piano awaited a night of Monk. The brethren congregated around the altar to hear some nutty crepusculian sounds courtesy of Thelonious Sphere.
The altar, dedicated to Bacchus, praise be, received the many supplicants, an evening’s cloistered contemplation in the presence of monks Wilson and Edis was upon us.
Graeme Wilson and Paul Edis were about to reprise their set of Thelonious Monk tunes first heard at the Jazz Café earlier in the year. The faithful occupied front row pews, the bacchanalian agnostics lashed themselves to the altar, they were ‘on the lash’. Monk in NYC played to the non-believers, Wilson and Edis were about to do the same. If Monk was looking down on the scene he would be smiling, shuffling to the rhythms (rhythms he gave to the world). Bright Mississippi, on the chords of Sweet Georgia Brown, began the sermon. The duo took Crepuscule with Nellie, then A Merrier Christmas and we, the brethren, received with thanks the offering. Stuffy Turkey (seasonally topical), a Trinkle Tinkle treat, a nutty Nutty, then off on a San Francisco Holiday (Worry Later said Monk) – this was something else! Masters at work, Graeme Wilson’s tenor full-toned, warm, an education for the aspiring, Edis in scintillating form, Monk’s wonderfully skewed logic, left hand stride, rooted in the rootie tootie of the blues.
The non-believers didn’t get it. They moved on. The disciples stayed on. Hornin’ In, the pensive Monk’s Mood, Four in One, the off-centre Off Minor, one after another, this put the gig up there with the best heard this year on Pink Lane. That was about it. Wilson and Edis have to do this again – TS Monk would insist upon it. Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues Are – if you have to ask, it don’t mean a thing. Just imagine, if the non-believers were able to hum a Monk tune as they made their way to the next two-bit boozer they might just turn a Brilliant Corner!
Russell.        

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