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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17641 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 915 of them this year alone and, so far, 60 this month (Dec. 26).

From This Moment On ...

December

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington (National Trust), Cambo, Morpeth NE61 4AR. 12 noon & 2:00pm. Admission to site £19.00.
Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Archie Brown & Friends @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00-8:00pm. Free.
Tue 31: Jan Spencelayh Quartet @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 5:00-9:00pm. A NYE ‘Dinner-Dance’ event. £42.99. Featuring special guest Mick Donnelly.
Tue 31: Jack Logan @ The Robin Hood Inn, East Wallhouses NE18 0LL. Tel: 01434 672549. 7:00pm. £59.95. ‘New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner’. Rat Pack etc.

January 2025

Wed 01: Revolutionaires @ The Old Barrel (Flatties), Boldon Colliery. 3:30pm. Free. Excellent rhythm & blues.

Thu 02: ???

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: John Gregory @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.

Sat 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £5.00. Xmas party (rescheduled from early December).

Sun 05: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Americana, jazz & blues.
Sun 05: Papa G’s Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

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

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Alice Grace & Peter Gilligan @ the Jazz Café - May 28. First Set

Alice Grace (vcl); Peter Gilligan (pno) + Pete Tanton (tpt).
(Review by Lance).
The Jazz Café was crowded, as was Wembley Stadium earlier. Taking into account the difference in size and numbers between the two venues, on  a decibel per person basis the Caff audience was relatively noisier than the Hull fans were when the 'Tigers' scored the winning goal!
Ironically, Alice's second number was Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise! This had followed a bouncy Weaver of Dreams that  had Ms. Grace scatting with a hornlike fluency aided and abetted by Gilligan's piano support and his own prolific solo. Bossa Nova time and A Day in the Life of a Fool - one of the many titles given to the Black Orpheus tune. It was cool and temporarily brought the noise level down to that of the Sheffield Wednesday fans.
Norma Winstone's arrangement of Two Kites followed by a Kenny Wheeler tune led to trumpet player Pete Tanton coming off the bench or, to be more precise, a barstool, to join the duo for In a Sentimental Mood. Harmon-muted, he complemented the vocal and even managed to be heard!.
Musically, it had been a good first set but the boisterous crowd deterred me from hanging around for the second. Don't get me wrong, unlike in a concert hall, I don't expect the audience in a bar or a club to sit in sepulchral silence but I do assume they will show a degree of respect to the performers.
Lance.


2 comments :

stevebfc said...

This a continual nightmare at the excellent free gigs at the Caff. No one ever made money by selling drinks to a jazz audience so understandably they can't risk upsetting the other customers by asking them to respect the musicians. However last night the background noise was so loud I could hardly hear what seemed like an excellent gig. Funny thing is that those who make the biggest racket during the numbers also seem to applaud the most enthusiastically at their conclusion.

Anonymous said...

The audience far too small for some gigs, far too loud for others... Let's just be glad there was a good number of people there!

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