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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

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Zhenya Strigalev Trio @ The Globe Jazz Bar, Newcastle - July 15.

Zhenya Strigalev (alto/electronics); Michael Janisch (bs. gtr/electronics); Marc Ayza (dms).
(Review by Lance).
All the tables were occupied, and so they should be, for this cosmopolitan power trio (Russian, American, Spanish respectively) gave a blistering performance that went straight for the jugular almost at once. I say almost as the opening few bars of Moonlight Serenade caused an eyebrow or two to be raised. Moonlight Serenade quickly gave way to that other Glenn Miller favourite - In the Mood. This was an In the Mood the like of which you've never heard before! Frantic, wild - if Miller had played it like this the Luftwaffe would have headed for home and the safety of Beethoven and Brahms without a bomb being dropped - at least not by them!
Strigalev is an amazing alto player taking the instrument to distant galaxies conquering the universe like an improvising Genghis Khan. Spurred on by Janisch and Ayza and aided by delays, reverbs and other forms of electronic wizardry this was truly an 'out of body' experience!
At the finale of the piece, there was a split second of silence before the audience, realising they'd landed safely, erupted with vociferous applause.
And so it continued, free improv. hard bop, fusion, jazz rock, Latin were all in the mix - sometimes simultaneously.
Although Strigalev's English is better than my Russian, indeed some may say it's better than my English, I didn't always catch the titles. There was one about taking off your socks (I think) with lots of electronic effects, a nod towards Sonny Rollins with Some Thomas (sic) a jaunty rhythm with a drum solo that was above and beyond 'jaunty'! and, to close the set, I Am Illegible?
A bottle of Hobgoblin, a word with Michael Janisch who, incidentally, had some awesome moments on bass guitar, raffle drawn, band reassembled then once more we were off to the races.
Georgia In My Mind based, not on Hoagy's classic but on Sweet Georgia Brown. This Georgia Brown certainly "knocked 'em dead". Wondering About Swing began swingingly before moving in a not unpleasant contemporary direction. Others included more originals such as Strange Party; Underage and Happy Professors.
Truly an inspirational gig.
Photos.
Lance.

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