Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17838 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 159of them this year alone and, so far, 6 this month (March 3).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Wokitoki @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Tom Atkinson (drums, guitar); Sue Ferris (sax, flute); Jude Murphy (bass guitar, flute). Jazz standards, bebop, free jazz, Latin & more. Upstairs.
Sun 09: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Downstairs.
Sun 09: Zhenya Strigalev’s 2025 Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club.

Tues 11: Solea @ Earthlings, the Healing Café, 94 Buckingham St., Newcastle, NE4 5QR. 7:00-8:45pm. Food available if ordered before 6:30pm. New band: Johannes Dalhuijsen (tenor sax, bass clarinet); Richard Herdman (guitar); Nick Bagnall (bass guitar); John Hirst (drums).
Tue 11: Giles Strong Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: The Exu + Matt Cliffe @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 13: Oh La La! @ Allendale Village Hall, Northumberland. 7:30pm. £12.00.; £6.00. child. Fifi La Mer (accordion, vocals), Oliver Wilby (reeds).
Thu 13: Fiona Finden’s Jazz Express @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 14: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Taylor @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00-2:00pm. £5.00. at the door. Second Friday in the month lunchtime concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Brass Funkeys + Dilutey Juice @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Oh La La! @ Edmundbyers Village Hall, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. £12.00.; £10.00. (additional £5.00. supper option, ordered in advance). Fifi La Mer (accordion, vocals), Oliver Wilby (reeds).
Fri 14: The Collective @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £8.50.
Fri 14: Bridget Metcalfe Quintet @ St George’s Venue, Park Road, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.

Sat 15: Hot Teapots @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 15: Creakin’ Bones @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Is This Jazz? @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk. Performances by Mu Quintet, Jinjé, A Brief Utopia, John Pope & Co + André Marmot (author of Unapologetic Expression: The Inside Story of the UK Jazz Explosion) in conversation + DJ sets ‘til 3:00am. ‘A Festival of New Jazz’.
Sat 15: Vintage Explosion @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 15: Alligator Gumbo @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Sat 15: One Night Standards @ The White Room, Stanley. 8:00pm. £8.67 (inc. bf). Note - previously advertised Salty Dogs cancelled.
Sat 15: Howlin’ Mat @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Blues guitar.

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, June 03, 2016

Gerry Richardson's Big Idea @ The Jazz Café. June 2.

Gerry Richardson (Hammond SK2/vcl); Rod Sinclair  (gtr); Dave Hignett, Gordon Marshall (tpt/flug); David Gray (tmb); (Garry Linsley (alt); Stuart Johnson (sop/ten); Sue Ferris (bar/fl); Adam Sinclair (dms).
(Review by Lance/photos courtesy of Mike Tilley).
A Big Idea gig is always a rollercoaster ride. The tunes, in the main, are familiar to the band's faithful following, the solos aren't. The quest to develop previous ideas ever present. Even with a dep drummer (an A-lister himself) this session never flagged. Indeed, Adam Sinclair had had a mere half hour to familiarise himself with the pad - it didn't show! 
This was one of those gigs where everyone came to the party. Rod Sinclair - Adam's uncle - demonstrated just how versatile the Fender Tele is with some sizzling solos.

On trombone, David Gray brings an earthiness to his playing that transcends genres whilst the three saxes, despite being relegated to the backline, never failed to shine. Sue on baritone and flute, Stuart on  tenor and soprano, Garry on alto were nothing less than awesome! Dave Hignett doesn't believe that the sky's the limit - for Dave it's the starting point. Mars, I'm heading your way!
Fellow trumpet man Gordon Marshall also chipped in with a couple of good solos - he should do it more often.
Then there was Gerry. Composer, arranger, singer, and Hammond operator extraordinaire!  Using the portable SK2 the sounds were, to my ears, comparable with the 10 roadies required B3 model. This was a gig that had the audience standing up and demanding more which they got with that good old warhorse Night Train.
Program:  Stone Church; Blues For Big Red; Ska Odyssey; Big Jazz Club in the Sky; African Sunset; Turnaround Shuffle; Lady Day and John Coltrane; Take the Tee Train; It's Grim up North;I Think I'll Lay Waste to Myself Tonight; All About McGriff; Samba to Phrygia; Night Train.
Lance.

4 comments :

Patti said...

It was a fab night - the band were on fire, all of them! Top class ....... just a pity we had to slip out the door before the encore!

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

Good time had by all. Thank you x

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

oh my! wish I'd been there!

Steven T. said...

Isn't Sue Ferris wonderful. The word had obviously got around that it was a lady playing the baritone solo and all the ladies in the house were clamouring to get a view - go on sister. Lance and I joked with her later that we were going to buy her a bass clarinet and a box to stand on. And what a lovely girl, so concerned that I lost £50, since found in a secret compartment of my wallet that obviously wasn't a secret to my automatic reflexes.
Incidentally, Gil Scott Heron, who wrote and recorded 'Lady Day and Trane' had a long term music collaborator - Brian Jackson on Flute - he introduces him on the live 'Bottle' and she did it proud.

Blog Archive