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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

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, June 05, 2016

The Safe Sextet (-1) @ The Jazz Co-op. June 4

Don Forbes (trumpet), John Rowland (tenor saxophone), Peter Gilligan (piano), Barry Ascroft (bass) & Russ Morgan (drums)
(Review by Russell/photo courtesy of Minnie Fraser)
The Safe Quintet. It doesn’t have the same ring to it. Four of the Safe Sextet’s regulars –  Gowland, Grainger, Law and Wight – were otherwise engaged…better offers (aka filthy lucre) and a European jazz jolly. One or two deps were drafted in…old  stager Mr Barry Ascroft (the archetypal ‘You hum it, I’ll play it’ piano player) working as a depping bass player on this gig, Safe Sextet alumnus Peter Gilligan (piano), and a half-decent depping drummer, Mr Russ Morgan.
The Globe – Jazz Co-op HQ – was open for business. The downstairs bar resembled Key Largo, not in terms of hoodlums (Edward G & co), nor the reluctant hero (Bogie), rather the numbers…an under-employed bartender and a couple of barflies. The upstairs room, the jazz room, awaited an audience. The Wylam Brewery was the hand-pull. So, Wylam Gold Tankard it was – at a sensible £3.50. a pint.
The Safe Sextet’s soundcheck received a modicum of applause. The audience arrived in ones and twos, Don Forbes & co were ready to go but not before a classic one-liner. The monitor positioned front left of Russ Morgan wasn’t playing ball. Our depping drummer couldn’t hear the piano and, as sound engineer Minnie Fraser tweaked matters technical,   Morgan quipped: Don’t worry, I don’t really want to hear him [Peter Gilligan] anyway!
Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise opened with bandleader Don Forbes going for it. Nardis, then Hocus Pocus featured old school tenor man John Rowland, Buddy Tate-style. Hang on a minute…this wasn’t Emcee 5 material, nor Stan Tracey. Matter not, the tunes were fine and the line-up dandy. The all-seated quintet played for an hour and more before the boss – trumpeter Forbes – suggested a short intermission.
A slightly longer than shorter intermission, a winning raffle ticket (!) and we were ready to go again. A good humoured bunch, the band winged it at times…grab a solo, debate a final chord, it came together well. One time Safe Sextet pianist Barry Ascroft did the job as Baz does – without any fuss, Peter Gilligan sounded great on the house upright and as drummers go, ‘first call’ can be applied to Russ Morgan. A brace of Forbes’ tunes stood comparison; Blues for the Boys, written with ‘the old place’ (25 Pink Lane) in mind  and all who played there, then Rico. Forbes couldn’t remember who Rico was, it didn’t make any difference to Morgan – what a solo! It had been a canny night. The Safe Sextet (-1) went out on Come Rain or Come Shine with a fleeting reference to Singing in the Rain in the final couple of bars.
Another fine trumpet player will be at the Jazz Co-op on Railway Street on Thursday 9th June. Ex-pat American Pete Tanton will be jetting in with his Riviera Quartet. The mode of transport could be pertinent: 'Twas on the 9th of June, 1862, on a summer’s afternoon. Roads in Newcastle city centre will be closed to traffic from 6:30pm to accommodate the several thousands of runners taking part in the Blaydon Road Race beginning at 7:15pm. The elite, the club runner and the straggler will be streaming past the Globe’s front door for the best part of an hour, so if you’re Gannin’ alang Scotswood Road be prepared for a short/long delay.  
Russell.                

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