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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. 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

Thursday, January 07, 2016

From No Place to the Globe

(Review by Russell)
Newcastle Jazz Co-op extended an invitation to Dave Weisser to relocate from the Chilli.
The Jazz Co-op’s house piano, drum kit and backline made it an attractive offer. Weisser went for it, no looking back. The Globe on Railway Street, home to Britain’s trailblazing jazz co-operative would, from now on, host Dave Weisser’s weekly Take it to the Bridge workshop.
The rain relented and Weisser’s friends turned out in force. The session began as a sextet – or was it a septet? – with All Blues and, two numbers in – There Will Never Be Another You – we were listening to a nonet. The permutations on the stand were endless, sitters-in and sitters-out. Thanks to the house piano, veteran pianist Barry Ascroft sounded like the fine piano player we have always known him to be. Drummer Norman Redhead played a familiar role – that of  the unobtrusive engine room stalwart book-ending the session with several stickmen taking spells, variously Michael Howard, Young Gun Matt MacKellar and the Old Gunslinger Ian Forbes.
The frontline horns were led by Weisser and the assured Ray Johnson. The altoists – Sue Bull and Rachel Richman – played their part, jostling for position on the stand alongside tenor man Dougie Fielder and, second set, Karen Rann (soprano). Duke Pearson’s Chant, some Bird and a Blue Bossa with all lining up to take a solo made time fly.
Alan Law showed up, so too Ian Forbes. A Blue Monk nonet (Dave Parker enjoyed being on this one) swung lazily – Law outstanding, Forbes dropping bombs right on cue. Adam Sams (guitar) overcame an amp malfunction to play good stuff, the ensemble excelled on Yesterdays and again on the closing number of the night How Insensitive. A word for the sound engineer, barman and tail-end tenor man Jeff Smith.                  
The Beamish Mary, The Bridge Hotel, The Blue Bell, The Chillingham Arms, The Globe – three Camra award-winning pubs, one picturesque Ouseburn location, one a trailblazing jazz venue. Take it to the Bridge has become an institution. From No Place* to the Globe, over twenty plus years Dave Weisser just keeps on going. We expect nothing less.       
Dave Weisser (trumpet & vocals), Ray Johnson (trumpet & flugelhorn), Dougie Fielder (tenor saxophone), Jeff Smith (tenor saxophone), Sue Bull (alto saxophone), Rachel Richman (alto saxophone), Karen Rann (soprano saxophone), Adam Sams (guitar), Roy Stephenson (guitar), Barry Ascroft (piano), Alan Law (piano), Dave Parker (double bass), Mike Clarke (bass), Norman Redhead (drums), Michael Howard (drums), Matthew MacKellar (drums), Ian Forbes (drums) 
Russell.
* The Beamish Mary, No Place, Stanley, County Durham. No Place, it’s a place. It’s the name of a place. Never mind. 

3 comments :

Norman said...

I would just like to thank Russell and BSH for their fitting recognition of Dave's efforts over the past 20 years to provide an opportunity for musicians young and old and of all levels of ability to actively participate on the local jazz scene and to personally thank Dave on behalf of myself and the many others, some of whom are now at the top their game. After all, for me my musical career started and ended as a teenager and, some several decades later, I have gained the title of an 'unobtrusive engine room stalwart book-end drummer' may 'Take it to the Bridge' thrive in its new venue

Ray Johnson said...

Great new venue for this north east jazz institution. I would like to endorse Norman's comments above and hope that "Take it to the Bridge" continues to thrive.

Bill Harper said...

Having worked with Dave in his early days in the UK, it's great to see that he has not lost his incredible enthusiasm for his music. He has an amazing natural untutored talent & a wonderful ear, much in the same vein as Chet Baker. I always considered Dave to be a superb vocalist, pitch perfect & extremely versatile & had he made his home in London rather than the "frozen north", I'm convinced that he could have been up there alongside the superstars like Ian Shaw. Although we went our different ways, I have never lost my respect for this talented guy. Keep on truckin Davie!

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