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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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

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?

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, January 20, 2016

Laura Jurd’s Dinosaur + The Early Bird Band @ Sage Gateshead. Jan 19

(Review by Russell).
Trumpeter Laura Jurd returned to Tyneside to play a gig at Sage Gateshead. The girl was impressed with the place. It’s really nice Newcastle…have I got that wrong? enquired an embarrassed bandleader. Stop digging she told herself. Jurd couldn’t claim geography as a strong suit, but, with sincerity, praised Sage Gateshead’s unparallelled facilities.
The trumpeter’s core working band – Elliot Galvin (keyboards), Conor Chaplin (bass) and drummer Corrie Dick – was in the groove from the off. 
An fx filtered horn straight out of Bitches Brew-era Miles heard Laura Run the Voodoo Down. This was Opening Sequence from Jurd’s Human Spirit project, the electric Miles signature sound, interrupted abruptly but temporarily by Gil Evans’ late ’50s orchestrations until once more being thrust into a barren fx winter landscape. Seb Swing – a nod to Seb the Polar Bear – featured the always excellent Corrie Dick. Happy Sad Song and Hardanger gave space to pianist Elliot Galvin and bassist Conor Chaplin. The pianist filled the space with many notes, the bassist stood his ground as the minimalist engine room fulcrum. Finnland, with two‘t’s said Jurd, was the set closer, quickly correcting herself: With two ‘n’s. So, the girl can’t spell, geography isn’t a strength, it’s just as well she can play the trumpet!                   
Laura Jurd’s Dinosaur: Laura Jurd (trumpet & fx), Elliot Galvin (keyboards), Conor Chaplin (bass) & Corrie Dick (drums)
Earlier the Early Bird Band opened as the support act to Laura Jurd. The teenage sextet of Saturday morning workshop students has come a long way in a short time. Assembled by pianist Paul Edis, coached and encouraged to write material, this Sage Gateshead concert performance hit new heights. Bassist Dan Lawrence wrote A Jazz Musician Always Lies. He and his band mates played it and played it well. Guitarist Francis Tulip writes material too – Effortless Presence, Blues for Big Steve and Ballad for Mr GW. Three tunes worthy of being heard in such a prestigious setting. Drummer Matt MacKellar transcribed Late Spring, a number often associated with the Jazz Messengers, so, it was, perhaps, fitting that MacKellar was dressed as if auditioning as Art Blakey’s successor. Sartorially and musically he would probably have been offered the job! The Early Birds went out on an absolute corker. A Radiohead inspired re-write – Everything in its Wrong Place – fizzed and crackled, and best of all, they nailed the ending!                       
Russell.  
The Early Bird Band: Ben Lawrence (trumpet), Nick Caughey (tenor saxophone), Andrew Hedges (trombone), Francis Tulip (guitar), Dan Lawrence (bass guitar) & Matt MacKellar (drums) + Paul Edis (piano).

2 comments :

stevebfc said...

What's this 'the girl' all about

Mr.PC

Russell said...

I refer you to an earlier review - Strictly Smokin' Big Band, Dec 19 - 'the brass boys'.

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