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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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 23, 2016

Prince and the Prince of Darkness

The worldwide publicity surrounding the death of rock legend Prince left me with nothing further to say. After all, he had little jazz affinity - or did he?
I began to wonder after reading a 1989 quote from Miles Davis saying "He [Prince] can be the new Duke Ellington of our times" seeing in Prince a kindred spirit to himself. The two did record and Davis featured several Prince compositions.Investigating further, I discovered references to Madhouse, a jazz/fusion band he formed with saxist Eric Leeds in Minnesota although I haven't heard them.
The photo shows Miles and Prince on NYE 1987 at Paisley Park.
This link tells more about the connection with Miles
Prince died on April 21, age 57, sadly missed by his many fans.
Rest In Peace.
Lance.

4 comments :

Patti said...

Dance, Music, Sex, Romance - what else is there to say indeed! What a genius .... and I've always loved the colour purple!

Richard Waddington said...

Having significant knowledge of Princes' music: my brother and best friend travelled to Edinburgh and Scotland respectively to see him, I have another friend who is a big fan, my wife likes him and I've heard a number of his albums and have been working through them chronologically; knowing Miles as an idol, or as near to an idol as I do these days, I can't help wondering whether Miles was being mischievous comparing Prince to Duke, who he refers to in his auto/ biography as the King of Jazz. Like Sinatra saying ' Something ' was the best love song for fifty years and attributing it to Lemon and McCartney.
Like Bowie, Prince was an accomplished popstar, doing the haircuts, clothes and attempting to create a media mystique, and like Bowie, he was one of the best though, unlike Bowie he was a fine guitarist, though the multi-instrumentalist bit is overstated.
Like Michael Jackson he was a better popstar than he was a Soul Artist.
He made enough good music to fill up a CD while Miles made dozens of great albums, many of which should be rated amongst the best albums ever made, and Duke made countless classics and may well be Americas' great composer.
Long after his contribution to music was over Miles remained a prickly character and we possibly shouldn't take everything he said too seriously.

Patti said...

Maybe it should be Music, Dance, Romance, Sex - in that order! But it probably wouldn't have scanned quite so well, with Prince's music!

Richard Waddington said...

Just come across an interesting quote in Rickey Vincents' tome 'Funk'.' When pop superstar Prince intimated that ' it's time for jazz to die ' in 1983, he touched the pulse of the musical community.' Given the trajectory of Miles at that time and his position within the jazz community which was turning its back on electricity, his comment seems less surprising. Plus there was that wardrobe to browse through.

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