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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

Saturday, March 19, 2016

The Lindsay Hannon Plus @ The Jazz Café. March 18

Lindsay Hannon (vocals), Alan Law (keyboards), John Pope (double bass) & Russ Morgan (drums)
(Review by Russell/photo courtesy of Mike Tilley.)
I am Lindsay Hannon and these are ‘the Plus’ said vocalist Hannon, pointing to the boys in the band. A good Friday night crowd turned out to hear Hannon sing a selection of the standard jazz repertoire and a few leftfield choices. The bar did good business, albeit via regular trips to the downstairs bar. Hold the front page! Ms Hannon appeared to be in an alcohol-free state of mind…the pint glass at hand appeared to contain nothing other than water.
Joni’s Hissing of Summer Lawns to Tom Waits by way of Fats Waller and a bluesy Monk the Jazz Café crowd were there to listen. Hannon’s trio hit the heights from the off. Piano player of choice to many, Alan Law always plays the notes in the right order; a blue note master, the right phrase at the right time, every time. JP, bassist John Pope sounded better than ever (matching haircut) and drummer Russ Morgan has established himself as one of the region’s ‘first call’ musicians. Hannon’s vocal range and ready invention succeeds in keeping the listener guessing. Whichever way she chooses to take a tune it works out. An A-list trio behind her on this gig allowed Hannon to take off in unexpected directions and the boys were right there, every step of the way.  
No More Blues with its slurred vocal phrasing, Law’s lazy, funk groove reworking of a St Louis Blues that you’re unlikely to hear in banjo territory down Cullercoats way and Miss Otis Regrets (JP’s arco intro) a late-night treat, Hannon scored A+ (as in ‘Plus’). The Jazz Café’s Thursday night crowd heard drummer Paul Smith in top form with a party piece of a solo. Twenty-four hours on Russ Morgan matched Smith’s Herculean effort. Brushes in hand, what a solo on a Hannon staple, Nature Boy! A class singer, a class rhythm section, an ace of a gig.
Russell.

1 comment :

Patti said...

This gig was a real treat - from start to finish - and I got special pleasure hearing the lovely cover of Cole Porter's Miss Otis Regrets. A wonderful song, recorded by Ethel Waters, Ella, Nat King Cole and Nancy Wilson, among others - even Kirsty McColl and the Pogues have covered it!

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