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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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ 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

Sunday, March 06, 2016

Big Muddy @ The Globe - March 5

Jude Murphy (vcl/bs gtr/fl); Dave Weisser (cor/vcl); Gordon Brown (alt); John Haylock (bar); Lionel Hehir (gtr); Nigel Robson (pno/tmb); Stu Holiday (dms).
(Review by Lance).
Any venture involving Dave Weisser has got to be worth checking out - particularly when it also features his soulmate, the multi-talented Jude Murphy. Indeed, it was Jude who got the ball rolling with a gravelly, unaccompanied, flute blast before moving on to bass guitar as the rest of the band joined in.
It was a familiar sounding jazz-rock number that set the pattern of the evening. Nostalgia in Times Square followed. The Mingus classic was taken at quite a jaunty pace with solos all round.
The front line of cornet, alto, baritone and occasionally trombone made for a mini big band sound that delighted the well-attended room.
Both Jude and Dave had vocals with Jude pulling an old Nellie Lutcher classic out of the bag - Fine Brown Frame - and Dave breathing new life into Annie Ross' Twisted. With Mother's Day in the offing, Song For my Father helped to redress the balance and Blues in the Closet swung along nicely.
Dave sang Work Song and Jude gave us Black Velvet and Peyroux's Don't Wait Too Long
The set closed with Pick up the Pieces - a number associated with the Average White Band.
It had been an interesting start to the bands first gig.
Glasses charged, the second set opened with Street Life. I guess sound levels had been adjusted for this was a crisper, better balanced, ensemble. 
Jude announced Senor Blues as her personal Mount Everest with no less the six flats to cope with! And did she cope? Let's just say that her name now stands alongside that of Sir Edmund Hillary!
My Little Suede Shoes had Gordon shaking a shaker before passing it on to an enthusiastic member of the audience.
This was a fun evening! When he wasn't shaking, Gordon blew some fine mainstream alto and John Haylock was in Mulligan mode on bari. Robson alternated between delicate piano and boisterous trombone, Jude, along with veteran rockers Hehir and Holiday, kept things solid. Dave, needless to say, blew cornet in his own inimitable style, effortlessly playing the charts without any charts!
And so it went on, the band getting tighter (music-wise) by the minute with numbers by BB King and John Schofield among others. The well-deserved encore was Mustang Sally.
In my head I was still singing "Ride Sally Ride" as I boarded the 22 bus towards Central Station.
Lance.

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