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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 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

Friday, May 27, 2016

Ingrid Jensen Quartet @ The Black Swan May 26












Ingrid Jensen (trumpet); Jez Franks (guitar); Andy Champion (bass); Tim Giles (drums)
(Review by Steve H/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew (right and Mike Tilley left)
This spectacular gig was another in the ‘Women Makes Music’ series and came to fruition as a result of 2 years’ worth of planning by NorVol (the network of Northern jazz promoters). Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together? The internationally renowned bandleader Ingrid Jensen teamed up with Londoners Jez Franks and Tim Giles and completing the quartet was Tyneside’s very own Andy Champion. Jensen flew in on Monday and the band had been rehearsing in the Jazz Café since Tuesday.  Thursday night was, therefore, the world premiere of this outfit which now embarks on a short Northern tour before finishing up with a gig at Ronnie Scott’s.
From the first note to the last, one can only describe the music emanating from the stage as pure class. Two superb sets separated by Jazz North East’s legendary raffle which Paul Bream introduces with a level of jocularity that Ronnie Scott would have been proud of.   The compositions from Ingrid Jenson were interspersed with interpretations of standards and other great composers including fellow Canadian trumpet player the late great Kenny Wheeler. There were also tunes from Ingrid’s younger saxophonist sister Christine and also one from guitarist Franks. The content of performance was wonderfully varied - slow, fast, free, melodious, quiet, loud, fierce and peaceful passages integrated throughout the evening.  Each member of the band excelled both individually and as part of the ensemble.  Franks and Giles I hadn’t heard before and I was suitably impressed. Andy Champion we already know is a superb bassist and Ingrid Jensen is simply a world class performer. The impressively sized audience loved every minute and at the end of the final number applauded vociferously and were rewarded with a masterful encore.
Ken Drew Photos.
Steve H.

2 comments :

Pam Young (on f/b) said...

Totally agree Steve this was a top class gig

Steven Tulip said...

Spare a thought for no. 1 son; his long-suffering girlfriends 18th birthday is kicking off at the 02 Academy and his guitar tutor for the next 4 years is playing the Swan. You couldn't make it up (unless of course you're Rowan Atkinson or Dawn French).
He was expecting a masterclass from Jez Franks and got one. Like Pat Metheny he's an all-rounder, a great follower with great technique, precision legato and never misses or plays a duff note. He 'beasted' it up during the first set and the chap on the next table was lost in the zone.
AC - nuff said.
Tim Giles played the Lifecycles at the Sage at the Festival so the 3 Jamboners there already knew him. He keeps time in his sleep and when awake he does all the other stuff as well, and what a nice, friendly lad too.
Ingrid Jenson was extremely impressive, both as musician and leader, exuding confidence: giving signals, counting them in, counting them out and openly giving verbal instructions.
Somebody said the band needed at least another horn but, in my view, the guitar bridges the gap between rhythm and trumpet better than a piano and whenever it felt like (ie)a sax should come in she'd change it round with pedals, loops or some fantastically subtle use of the mute.
It's probably lazy to compare every modern trumpet player to Miles but difficult to avoid, such was the scope of output in his long career(and it's possibly lazy to compare guitar and drums to McLaughlin and Williams respectively). We currently seem to be settled somewhere between the final acoustic albums of the Second Great Quintet and the rock stuff before it got ferocious, suggesting it takes about fifty years for the rest of us to catch up, but Ingrid slips effortlessly through what, at the time, was considered one of the most revolutionary changes in Jazz History.
Wheelers 'where do we go from here' could refer to the current state of politics in the US she suggested (and the UK) but, I propose, equally to the music or, as she put it, 'whatever it is we're doing.'
I like to buy an album at the gig, as much to support the artist, and they're always good, but hers is genuinely fantastic.
Since we're all at it, gig of the year so far? Quite possibly, and I didn't see it coming until: Zoe Gilby arrived - no surprise there - but then: Paul Edis, Chris Hibbard, Alice Grace, Johnny Donne, Graham Hardy, Abby Finn, Ros (recently retired from Sage) and aplogies to anyone git important I've missed, but it looked like it might be something special, and it was.

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