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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

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: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
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

Wednesday, May 04, 2016

Jazz Café Jam Session - May 3.











Pete Gilligan (keys); Paul Grainger (bs); Russ Morgan (dms) + Paul Gowland (alt); Omid Ramak (dms); Jordan Alfonso (alt); Charlie Philp (gtr); Colm Rooney (pno); Dimitore? (dms); Ian Forbes (dms); Minnie Fraser (vcl).
(Review by Lance).
It must be five years or so since Omid Ramak and Colm Rooney last showed up at the Jazz Café. In the meantime, both had added considerable facial hair to the point that I failed to initially recognise either. Ramak, preparatory to taking the Queen's Shilling (enlisting), has an almost Machiavellian appearance whilst Rooney could have passed as a younger version of the Venerable Crombie.
Colm came through the ranks of Rocket Science, Jambone and SSBB before moving on to pastures new and Omid, during his tenure in Newcastle, made several attempts to set up jazz venues in and around town before he too moved south. Good to see them back albeit probably only on an ephemeral basis.
The jam wasn't as crowded as normal although there was enough in to retain the usual ambience.
As ever, the house trio got things rolling with Gilligan operating a keyboard that seemed to have as many controls as a DC10. Fortunately, they were used sensibly and sparingly and his solo on Make Someone Happy certainly made the listeners happy. Just Friends had some well-integrated 4s twixt piano and drums with Morgan's brushwork exquisite.
Paul Gowland took centre stage for I Hear a Rhapsody and Omid occupied the drum stool. Rather than the seemingly obligatory round of 4s we had 8s which, to my mind, makes more sense.
Once in a While was balladic perfection with Gowland throwing in a few Parker licks along with a lot of his own. Nice...
A change around saw Alfonso on alto, Charlie Philp on guitar, Colm on piano and Dimitore on drums.
Autumn Leaves and Now's the Time were safely negotiated before Ian Forbes added a lighter touch to All of Me and that good old jam session favourite - All the Things You Are. On Green Dolphin St with Colm, Omid, Philp, Gowland and Grainger (a tower of strength all evening with no bass players to give him a spell) led to Minnie Fraser combining with two-thirds of her Moochers (Gilligan and Grainger) for Stardust and Fascinating Rhythm, both complete with verse. Fascinating as it was, I had to head across town for the number 27 which waits for no one and tonight was no exception. Still it was worth the taxi fare to have such an enjoyable evening.
Lance.

2 comments :

Unknown said...

Thanks Lance,

it was a pleasure to actually catch you on the way out to say hello this time! Just an fyi, my last name doesn't have an 's' at the end. Thanks for doing this blog and keeping us all updated on everything Jazz,

Regards,
Charlie Philp

Lance said...

Sorry Charlie, I thought I'd got it right when I missed out the extra L and the I - still, it's now corrected and that's nothing compared to the names people call me!

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