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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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ 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: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month 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: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 16: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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

Monday, July 11, 2016

The Reunion @ Blaydon Jazz Club. July 10

Colin Aitchison (trumpet & vocals), Franco Valussi (clarinet & tenor saxophone), Steve Andrews (tenor saxophone & clarinet), Roly Veitch (guitar) & Roy Cansdale (bass guitar) + Red Pellini (tenor saxophone), Jim McBriarty (clarinet) & Neville Sarony (vocals)
(Review by Russell/Photos courtesy of Jeannie)
The scenic Tyne Valley railway butts up against the back door of the Black Bull. Picture the Edwardian scene…pub-goers standing on the terrace, faces peering through wrought iron railings, necks craning to catch first sight of the Flying Scotsman. You could say an everyday occurrence, except this is 2016. Blaydon Jazz Club’s monthly gig was about to begin in the lounge of the Black Bull but not before a battery of iPhone snappers got that all-important shot. Here she comes! The iconic engine hurtled past hauling its carriages - carriages full of steam train buffs who, no doubt, paid a pretty penny for the privilege - to Newcastle Central. In this era of the instant image, the results of the assembled snappers were, for the most part, unlikely to feature on the front cover of Steam Train Weekly.
The Flying Scotsman way down the line, thoughts turned to jazz…Hong Kong style jazz. Colin Aitchison was in town and as usual he brought with him Franco Valussi. An Italian living in Hong Kong, Valussi is a fabulous clarinet player. Previous visits won him praise from all quarters. Those in the know knew they couldn’t miss this one. Ex-pat Aitchison, a jazz man to his core, leads a stompin’ session at Ned Kelly’s in Kowloon. It’s anyone’s guess how many great players sit-in (let’s book a flight to Hong Kong and check it out!), Valussi we knew about but we didn’t know about Red Pellini or Neville Sarony. We were about to find out…
Lady be Good, Tea for Two with Aitchison leading with the verse, an apposite Slow Boat (to you know where), Aitchison and Valussi crooning it on Jeepers Creepers with Italian tenor player Red Pellini in on the fun, this was the stuff! ‘Red’ (now there’s a proper jazz name) produced such a big sound it came as something of a shock to the system, making Earl Bostic appear timid in comparison! Signor Pellini has worked with Bob Wilber – in other words, he can play. Local lad, long-since Cumbrian resident, Steve Andrews played tenor every bit as well as our Italian guest and made sure he got in the one-liners, such as, when looking quizzically at his tenor: It was in tune when I bought it!
The Rolls Royce rhythm section, seated at the back, purred. Messrs Roly Veitch, guitar, and Roy Cansdale, bass guitar, didn’t miss a beat, nor any of the jokes, chuckling away as Aitchison and Andrews entertained out front. The band permutations were many; a tenor trio, later a three-clarinet front line of Valussi, Andrews and Jim McBriarty. Yes, Maine Street mainstay McBriarty, earlier in the day to be heard outside Tynemouth Priory, made the trip to Blaydon. A class act is McBriarty. A rousing Exactly Like You concluded the first set, with, as Colin Aitchison observed, the Blaydon Black Bull Big Band. All hands on deck including vocalist Mr Neville Sarony, surely the debonair one at Ned Kelly’s.   
The Black Bull was busy. When word gets around that the Reunion Band is back in town the goggle box gets switched-off and a b-line is made to Bridge Street, Blaydon. A Flying Scotsman, Black Sheep Bitter, a raffle, a chat and before you know it’s the second set.
In a Mellotone, Fats promising to write that letter courtesy of Neville Sarony, described by Aichison as Ned Kelly’s ‘QC - Quality Controller’ and a stinging critique of Donald Trump thanks to Sarony’s updated lyrics to It Had to be You. A two-tenor highlight on Apex Blues threatened to steal the show with Andrews and Pellini going for it, as did the clarinet duo Valussi and McBriarty with Aitchison first growling then plungering.
Bill Bailey took us up to closing time. The full band, vocals, snapping jazz fingers, great playing. More! More! It should be noted (this ain’t fair) Franco Valussi, clarinet virtuoso also played some great tenor. Why don’t these musos settle for being good at one thing? So, an encore was won. Ain’t Misbehavin’. Ain’t kiddin’, this was one great session. Next month at Blaydon Jazz Club (August 21) a jazz piano trio worth travelling many a mile to hear, the Dean Stockdale Trio will be playing Oscar, Stockdale originals and more with a top class bass and drums pairing – Mick Shoulder and Adam Sinclair. Eight o’clock, see you there.
Photos.                      
Russell.

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