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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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

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

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ 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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