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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

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.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:15pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall, Stocksfield. 1:30pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm.
Sat 24: Dean Stockdale Quartet + Mingus Sings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums) + Mingus Sings: Sara Oschlag (vocals); Alan Barnes (reeds); Tim Lapthorn (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); Clark Tracey (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sat 24: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 24: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sat 24: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 24: Papa G’s Troves @ 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

Saturday, April 16, 2016

GIJF – Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Sage Gateshead. April 15

(Review/photos by Kath Jobes)
After a brief welcome and introduction from Ros Rigby OBE, Performance Programme Director at The Sage, a wall of sound that is the SSBB greeted the audience which encompassed several local Jazz musicians including the delightfully talented and elegant Alice Grace, who hopefully we shall hear at next year’s festival… it’s fantastic that local musicians support one another. 

The tables soon filled up and the standing area was jam packed within minutes A fabulous intro with the lovely Lindsay Hannon singing The More I See You.  This was equalled in impact by F’reez’s first number, Harry Connick Jnr’s version of I Could Write A Book.  I have seen SSBB on many occasions and this was one of the best sound-wise, I guess that pro sound guys make all the difference when it comes to getting that wall of sound, and it would seem that the relocation of the concourse stage between the two staircases has provided a more intimate setting and greatly improved acoustics!
A couple of really tight numbers from the Band, I love Paris featuring the mellow trombone of  Mark Ferris and My Favourite Things led to a newer number from Ms. Hannon,  Bob Milner’s TV Blues with a stupendous  frontline of all five Saxes, followed by  Not Just a Date.  The band went from strength to strength with a Disney tune, Zero to Hero and Song for my Father featuring Steve Summers (Alto), Keiron Parnaby (tmb) and Band Leader, Michael Lamb (tpt),  F’reez finished off the first set with Let the Good Times Roll, and boy oh boy were they rollin’!
The second set kicked off with F’reez and Cheek to Cheek, which brought 2 pairs of dancers to the floor, and for most of the second set we were given a superb display of swing dance; the couples alternated partners to take rest breaks and show off a variety of moves.
Art Blakey’s Moanin’ featured more of the usual suspects, Paul Gowland, (ten) Pete Tanton (tpt), Graham Don (pno) and Steve Summers (Alto), then  gave way to F‘reez turned on That Old Black Magic and F’reez responded with Almost Like Being in Love.  Then Miss Hannon said things became Too Darn Hot, so for the final number she took us on a cool trip down Route 66… the crowd yelled for one more so F’reez obliged with Hallelujah I Love Her So…  yep… the crowd loved the SSBB so too!
Saturday evening sees more fabulous concourse music, all for free, I recommend The Lindsay Hannon Plus who are in the same late spot from 10pm onwards, and the Late Night Jam Session at the Jazz Café with the Pete Gilligan Trio… not to be missed!
Kath.
Strictly Smokin’ Big Band: MD Michael Lamb, Pete Tanton, Tom Hill, Dick Stacey (trumpets); Kieran Parnaby, Mark Ferris, Robert ‘Pez’ Perry, Dr John Flood (trombones); Laurie Rangecroft, Paul Gowland, Jamie Toms, Steve Summers, Keith Robinson (reeds), Graham Don (piano), Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar), Michael Whent (bass), Guy Swinton (drums), Lindsay Hannon (vocals) & F’reez (vocals)

1 comment :

Patti said...

I shouldn't have wussed out after the first set - excuses, excuses! I'll have to wait until June - I've booked my tickets for this fab band's Hoochie Coochie gig. A great review, Kath - and yes, the sound was excellent.

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