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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Wednesday, August 03, 2016

Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Crescent Club Cullercoats - August 3

(Review by Russell/photo of Teresa from BSH archives)
Wednesday at the Crescent Club, your regular date with the Vieux Carré Jazzmen. An indisposed Paul Gowland called for a suitable dep and old hand Derek Fleck answered the call to share frontline duties with the redoubtable Lawrence McBriarty. The rhythm section rarely changes (no changes on this gig) so we heard bandleader Brian Bennett, Bill Colledge and Fred Thompson. Good weather at Cullercoats, good time jazz in the Crescent Club, your regular midweek date with the VCJ.
First things first; Brian Bennett began the session by praising Paul Gowland’s culinary skills…a home-made chicken curry Mr G’s signature dish, apparently. My Gal Sal got things underway musically speaking, Mandy, Make Up Your Mind followed and a Big Butter and Egg Man heard Fred Thompson singing. MC Bennett invited Miles Watson onto the stand to have a blow and sing a couple of numbers. Watson suggested he was Undecided. The Cullercoats Songstress Teresa Armstrong made up her mind, choosing Pennies from Heaven as her opening number. A false start and a sore throat could have put-off lesser performers, not Armstrong! She’ll be back next week fighting fit.
One-liners make a gig. As Armstrong vacated the stage, the Cullercoats Songstress was heard joking: This band makes me nervous! The interval raffle prizes went elsewhere. A Fats Waller number to restart, then drummer Thompson sang Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gave to Me. Not to be outdone, trumpeter Watson hit the heights on Carolina Moon with a cameo of a solo from bar stool bassist Bill Colledge. Friends in jazz Messrs Thompson and Watson were in perfect vocal harmony on Bourbon Street Parade. Derek Fleck has a ‘been-there-done-that’ look about him and this gig with the Vieux Carré Jazzmen held no fears. An accomplished player, be it clarinet or alto sax, Fleck breezed through it all. To end another Wednesday at the Crescent Club the band played Honeysuckle Rose (Watson vocals), Hindustan (the dulcet Thompson) and, all together now, Bye Bye Blackbird.            
Russell.
Derek Fleck (clarinet & alto saxophone), Lawrence McBriarty (trombone), Brian Bennett (banjo), Bill Colledge (bass) & Fred Thompson (drums & vocals) + Miles Watson (trumpet & vocals) + Teresa Armstrong (vocals)

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