Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, 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

17957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 278 of them this year alone and, so far, 34 this month (April 14).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 21: Newcastle Record Fair @ Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. 10:00am. Going in search of the Buddy Bolden cylinder…
Mon 21: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

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

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Mark Williams Trio @ The Jazz Café. April 12

Mark Williams (guitar), Paul Susans (bass) & Russ Morgan (drums)
(Review by Russell/Photos courtesy of Mike Tilley)
At dusk a mid-November mist descended over Newcastle. As it is the month of April the unseasonal gloom perhaps persuaded some to stay indoors. The streets quiet, the pubs no different, down on Pink Lane the Jazz Café’s doors defiantly remained open for business.
Half an hour before the first set was due to start three amigos sat at the bar; Geordie Jazz (the house bottled beer), a cider and a glass of wine in front of them. The ‘three’, the trio of Mark Williams, Paul Susans and Russ Morgan, were ready and waiting. Patience is a virtue and in due course the Caff filled up nicely and the boys made a start.

Guitarist Mark Williams wouldn’t be out of place leading a band at Ronnie Scott’s or one of the Big Apple’s premier jazz clubs such as the Blue Note or the Village Vanguard. The fact that the amiable Irishman chooses to ply his trade on Tyneside is one of the glories of the Geordie jazz scene. The set list comprised now familiar original tunes and one or two new numbers. Totally in command of his instrument, his current band mates Paul Susans and Russ Morgan are, perhaps, the ideal musicians to take the music to a wider audience. Dark, brooding, prowling riffs, Williams revelled in constantly shifting time signatures, a book of chords labelled ‘advanced’ and working with two similarly talented musicians.
Weird Waltz is a dystopian lullaby; lyrical, threatening, briefly swing time. Slow, slow, breaks off, go! Williams is a man of few words preferring to let his guitar do the talking. Self deprecation suits the Irishman: It’s just a blues said Williams of Booze Blues. Just a blues? And the rest! The arrival on the scene of Russ Morgan has been a real bonus. The thought occurred that he is the drummer for this band. Word of mouth, checkout Morgan and the gig was his. Scintillating playing from all three men. Last Bus to Bensham (Colin Dexter would approve of the title!) was one of Williams’ tunes. Is it really titled Last Bus to Bensham? Probably.
The ‘Tuesday Live at the Jazz Café’ audience really dug it. From the off everyone sat or stood at the bar listening intently. Bassist Susans has worked with Williams for years and it shows – total trust, freedom to express. Swing, blues, cranked-up riffs, leftfield waltz, a free-jazz element, a listener’s gig. List your favourite musicians. Williams isn’t on it? In that case, you haven’t heard him play.                           Russell

No comments :

Blog Archive