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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

17655 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 929 of them this year alone and, so far, 74 this month (Dec. 31).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Mon 06: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 09: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: John H Hammond.
Thu 09: FILM: Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 2:35pm. Documentary (dir. Johan Grimonprez) ‘about jazz, (de)colonial history and activism featuring Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie’.
Thu 09: Happy Tuesdays @ Ye Olde Cross, Ryton. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 09: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 09: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. The session now monthly, next one Thursday 2nd Feb, then first Thursday in the month thereafter.

Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free.

Sat 11: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 11: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 12: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 12: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 12: King Bees @ The Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.
Sun 12: Dave Bottomley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.
Sun 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Tessa Souter w. Pete Gilligan Trio @ The Cherry Tree - April 13

Tessa Souter (vcl); Pete Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Russ Morgan (dms).
(Review by Lance).
A visit to the Cherry Tree on Osborne Rd. is invariably stimulating both musically and gastronomically and tonight they excelled themselves on both counts.
Almost two years have passed since I first encountered Ms. Souter on one of  the several CDs by the New York-based singer that are currently available. Beyond the Blue, a selection of standards based on classical compositions rated high on that year's jazz charts.
Last night, Caravan, from another CD, Listen Love, got the ball rolling and it soon became obvious that we and they were going to have a ball.
Yesterdays brought to mind Carmen McRae, Souter's voice has a similar texture although she later cited Sheila Jordan and Mark Murphy to be her major influences. Nothing wrong with that!
Sting's Fragile was just that with some tasteful hand-drumming from Morgan. My table was next to the drums which, with some drummers, could be a recipe for indigestion. Not so Morgan. It was hard to comprehend that this was the first time all four had played together - they gelled.
Other numbers in the first set included a swinging Just One of Those Things; a compelling The Look of Love done as a jazz lieder - voice and piano - Pure Imagination and Freddie Hubbard's Little Sunflower.
Listening to Tessa Souter accompanied by Peter, Paul, and Russ whilst savouring the delights of a Haggis Scotch egg, celeriac and kohlrabi pickle followed by Rump steak and fries I decided, was pretty close to Shangri-la and I still had the second set and dessert to come!
On Green Dolphin Street; Wayne Shorter's Ana Maria with a dark and emotional lyric penned by Souter; Mark Murphy's Song For the GeeseChiaroscuro, based on Albinoni's Adagio in G minor and featured on the Beyond the Blue album referred to earlier; I'll Remember April;You Won't Forget Me from the 1953 Joan Crawford Film, Torch Song, later revived by Shirley Horn, was given exquisite treatment leading to the highlight, in an evening of highlights, - the merging of Ornette Coleman's Lonely Woman with the Beatles Eleanor Rigby.
Just think, all that and Apple Strudel with Custard!
Photos.
Lance.

4 comments :

Minnie Fraser (on F/b) said...

It was such a brilliant evening! She is an awesome singer and the PG trio did amazingly well, they sounded like they had been playing with her for years rather than having only just met her! Well done lads!!!!

Anne DeVere Harper (on F/b) said...

looks wonderful!!!

Lance said...

It was indeed awesome and wonderful. The Gilligan Gang were superb and Tessa another of the class vocal acts - Jo Harrup, Paul Skerritt, Alice Grace, Tessa Souter - that the Cherry Tree features so frequently.

Unknown said...

I feel so depressed that I could not make to be there. My friends who made loved it so much. Even though there were some technical problems during the first part of the gig the second part was just so amazing! I wish I were there! !!!! love her music!

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