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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

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, August 21, 2016

Claire Kelly with Pete Gilligan @ The Globe: August 20

Claire Kelly (vocals); Pete Gilligan (piano).
(Review by Ann Alex/photo courtesy of Dave Parker).
And the BSH gold medal doesn’t go to Claire Kelly.  Lance will burst into tears when he reads that Claire rounded off her excellent performance with (yes!) Summertime. The audience of 6 or so soon became many, as Claire’s friends and admirers flocked in, so that by the end of the gig it was rather lively with a couple dancing at the front and shouts of encouragement from the audience. Pete had assisted with choosing the set list, so Claire was singing some numbers she’d not sung for a few years but you wouldn’t have guessed. Ms Kelly is soon to return to her current home in Thailand, a shame for us but Thailand’s gain, as she’s up there with the best of our ‘local’ women singers.
Confident, strong-voiced and with stage presence, Claire began with I’ve Got The World On A String; and We’ll Be Together Again, followed by very convincing scatting on Aqua De Beberfor contrast we had Ain’t Nobody’s Business But My Own, very bluesy, sliding up and down the scales and Pete in speakeasy mode, playing as well as we’ve come to expect, and better. Let’s Slip Away was from the singing of Cleo Laine, whom Claire once encountered in a lift; the first half closed with a ballad, A Song For You.
We resumed with Beautiful Love and This Masquerade both well-acted, not just sung, and Masquerade was given an improvised ending before being gently faded out. Then a song about clichés old and new (didn’t catch the title); Pete’s choice of Whisper Not; then I’ve Grown Accustomed To His Face and a Carmen McCrae song called Tip Toe Gently (I think). My Heart Belongs To Daddy was wonderfully sleazy, with strong sleazy-sounding chords from Pete who was obviously thoroughly enjoying himself, especially when he sang the last line for Claire, after making her laugh out loud .A lively West Coast Blues got a rather gospelly ending, to riotous applause, then came Summertime, just as the Metro called me home, so other songs could have followed for all I know.
A good time was had by all. Thank you, Claire, Pete and the Jazz Co-op.
Ann Alex

5 comments :

Liz said...

ha,ha,had a good laugh at"Summertime" Ann...cannot imagine why Lance dislikes it so much, or maybe it's because it is overdone by wannabes!!

Lance said...

I don't dislike 'Summertime'. It's a great song but, as you say, it's been overdone - not just by the 'wannabes' (which Claire has long moved up from) but by every singer - it's almost become their national anthem. I loved the first thousand renditions but after that I wondered why they didn't dip further into the Porgy and Bess songbook?

Ann Alex said...

Lance, Here is a question. Please answer carefully. About these wannabes, are they always singers or do you come across, say, saxophone or drum wannabes, or even banjo wannabes? Just a thought.

Lance said...

Of course Ann! From the moment you sit at the piano or behind the kit or blow your first note or sing the first chorus of 'The Wheels on the bus go round and round' you're a wannabe. How MUCH you want to be is what makes the difference.

Lance said...

The reviewer asked about a song Claire Kelly sang at the Globe last Saturday - it's called New Clichés.
Claire had first heard it on an album by singer Diane Hubka
(The above info was emailed to me by Nathan Allonby)

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