Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Sophie Speed with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ Longframlington Memorial Hall. 7:00pm (doors). Tickets: £12.00. from 01665 570984.
Fri 16: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 16: Peter Donegan & Anthony Donegan @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. ‘Lonnie Donegan - The Stories’.

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. 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

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

GIJF: Liane Carroll & Ian Shaw @ Sage Gateshead. April 15

 Liane Carroll (piano & vocals) & Ian Shaw (piano & vocals)
(Review by Russell/Photo courtesy Ken Drew)
Jazz festivals like to book a number of musicians who are ‘box office’ performers. The Gateshead International Jazz Festival presented two for the price of one in Sage Two’s opening night ‘late night’ show. Liane Carroll and Ian Shaw give a performance every time they take to the stage. This 2016 GIJF concert gave top billing to Carroll with her friend of many years Ian Shaw her ‘special guest’ (pictured here on the Concourse).
Carroll takes after Shaw with her on-stage repartee. Living in Hastings, Ms Carroll has performed all over the world, seen and done it all, yet, here at Sage Gateshead presented a  persona of the fragile, vulnerable performer. Does Carroll know how good she is?
Possessing a fabulous, powerful voice, a cast iron technique as a pianist and an engaging personality, Carroll drew huge applause time and again. Impassioned singing, saloon bar piano playing (of a most superior kind), the two ingredients combined to make for a great gig. Head thrown back, singing to the stars, Carroll gave her all. Friend Ian Shaw walked onto stage to join her, initially standing by the piano, sharing the lyric. A chemistry, clear to all, exists between the two; sharing a lyric, sharing a joke, worldly-wise, hilarious. The roles reversed, Shaw sat at the piano, Carroll front of stage, pathos and comedic timing a winning combination, the duo could have played all night. All of Me to Leonard Cohen to Joni’s Big Yellow Taxi, this was paradise, definitely no soul-destroying parking lot.
Ian Shaw, stand-up, singer, pianist, activist. Shaw took time out to talk about his regular visits to the euphemistically known ‘Calais jungle’. He is a hands-on volunteer helper at a twenty first century ‘detention centre’ (your reviewer’s description of the EU’s shameful shanty town). Shaw, a world class vocalist (and pianist) mixes music and politics. Good on you, Ian. To quote Pastor Niemoeller: Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak out for me. Ian Shaw returns to Sage Gateshead on Wednesday 15 June- be there.
Russell.             

1 comment :

Hugh said...

I'm sure Ian Shaw (no pun intended!) was not on the original billing for this gig, but was added later as the "Special Guest".
Liane Carroll does indeed have a fantastic voice, large octave range and huge dynamic range - a real treat. I would not describe her as fragile, but she certainly is perhaps understated - there is nothing of the diva about her manner and she is self deprecating (in a humourous way). Tickets for Ian Shaw already booked!

Blog Archive