Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 2026)

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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

From This Moment On

June

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 18: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 19: Joe Steels Group @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 19: Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £14.33., £11.16., £8.00.
Fri 19: Martin Litton @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 (inc. bf); £6.50 (inc. bf); £15.00 on the door. Solo piano. CANCELLED!
Fri 19: Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Joe Webb support set.
Fri 19: Hot Club du Nord @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Jive Aces: The Roots of Rock & Roll @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf.

Sat 20: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer Festival, Corbridge. 5:00-6:00pm.
Sat 20: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 20: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Trinity Church, Gosforth, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. NCRO w. guests Dean Stockdale & Nick Ward.

Sun 21: From Lagos to Longbenton: Unity in the Community @ Sunderland Minster. From 1:30pm. Free. A multi-bill Unity in the Community event, inc. From Lagos to Longbenton.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio w. Graham Hardy.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 22: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 23: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Jazz Café Jam Session - January 19.

(Review by Lance).
Once again the faithful turned out in their hordes for the Jazz Café Jam Session. The house trio set the ball rolling in 3/4 time - didn't recognise the tune although it did sound vaguely familiar. Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most, Scarborough Fair and More Than You Know followed before the first re-shuffle.
Stu Finden - the best bass playing saxophonist I know - took over from Grainger and Mrs Finden sang Bernie's Tune and Lester Leaps In before leaping out.
Nick Gould came down from Edinburgh hoping for warmer weather - as if! However, it didn't effect his tenor playing - straight down the middle renditions of  On Green Dolphin St., Out of Nowhere and My Foolish Heart - good swinging stuff.
Now a big, time taking, shuffle. A mix of young and old faces. Liu He, a Chinese student (I guess), sang The Nearness of You and Blue Moon with backing and good solos from Chris Jones on guitar and James Robson on bass. The quartet was rounded off by veteran drummer (although not the oldest drummer in the room) Eric Stutt. Look forward to hearing them again.
Gilligan returned for There Will Never be Another You and All Blues, the latter featuring Robson. Paul Wilson took over on piano for Blue Bossa, joined surreptitiously by Paul Gowland blowing tenor this week. Autumn Leaves rounded off this portion of evening in slightly confusing fashion as sometimes happens at jams. 
Gilligan and Grainger returned as did Ian Forbes who was the oldest drummer in the room if not the world! Nothing senile about his playing. Watch What Happens the tune.
Gowland came back aboard for In a Sentimental Mood then Gould joined him for a two tenor front line - the Jazz Couriers ride again!.
I think the tune may have been Shearing's Conception but I could be wrong - I often am!
What's in a name anyway? This was classic - two top tenors, contrasting styles but complementary.
 to each other. Ace rhythm section - Shangri-la. Unfortunately, with the Central Metro closing at 8pm and the 27 bus not stopping at Shangri-la I had to leave before the great amen.
Quite a session!
Lance.
Photos.
Pete Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Russ Morgan (dms) + Fiona Finden (vcl); Stu Finden (bs); Nick Gould (ten); Liu He (vcl); James Robson (bs); Chris Jones (gtr); Eric Stutt (dms); Paul Wilson (pno); Paul Gowland (ten); Ian Forbes (dms).
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive