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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

17744 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 64 of them this year alone and, so far, 64 this month (Jan. 26).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. 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.

Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 12 noon-2:00pm (two sets). £12.00. admission (card or cash at the door). Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums). Note change of venue, no longer at Mrs M’s as advertised, the concert will be in the Old Library (Bishop Auckland Jazz’s regular venue). Important! It’s a ‘BYOB’ arrangement - ie bring your own booze (and/or tea, coffee, soft drinks).
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:00pm. ‘Klezmer, Gypsy Jazz, Balkan & More!’.
Fri 31: Nothing in Rambling @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £10.00. + bf. Country blues duo.
Fri 31 Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Wylam Institute. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. + £1.50. bf.
Fri 31: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £10.00 + bf. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.
Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00 Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 31: SwanNek + Rivkala @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. SwanNek’s new single launch gig. Pilgrim, formerly Hoochie Coochie.

February 2025

Sat 01: Alan Barnes & John Hallam with the Tom Kincaid Trio @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - Cy Coleman’s Witchcraft. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 01: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 01: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Western swing etc.

Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 02: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 02: Jive Aces @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Sun 02: John Pope + Andy Champion + Ian Paterson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Subterranean Explorations 1’. Three (half hour) solo bass sets.
Sun 02: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

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, September 21, 2016

Jam session @ The Jazz Café. September 20

(Review by Russell/Photo courtesy of Mike Tilley)
George and Ira Gershwin, Kenny Barron and Tom Waits. The Jazz Café’s house rhythm section opened with Lady Be Good, Voyage and I Beg Your Pardon. A round of fours as good as they come on the opening number impressed the new student intake – they were listening to Young Gun drummer Matt McKellar. This is the standard, guys!
The first week of term, first and second-year music students based at Sage Gateshead got a taste of what lies ahead for them. The experienced musicians on the stand - pianist and MC Peter Gilligan and Paul Grainger, bass - know their stuff, confident of, and generous to our depping young drummer on the gig, so we heard Matt  solo confidently on Voyage. The two PGs weren’t the only old hands around - PR, Paul Ruddick, blew a Baghdaddian alto on All of Me accompanying the keen participation of a local blues guitarist. A twelve bar followed before Ruddick cracked the whip to set a boisterous Caravan on its journey into the kasbahs and souks of Newcastle’s exotic West End.

 Dr Edis led his new recruits onto the stand. Let’s see what you can do with Chameleon... and round and round they went. Bassist Adam is one to watch (hear), trumpeter Callum impressed (more, please), then there was Lucy on alto, Kieren playing guitar and Chris, drums. Here’s the deal guys…turn up regularly!!! Pianist Edis stayed on for a waltz with John Pope and the imperturbable MM behind the traps. 

A third PG, Mr Paul Gowland, playing soprano sax, traded first-rate solos with an on fire Michael Lamb, trumpet (fresh from another storming Strictly Smokin’ gig up the road at Hoochie Coochie) on some tasty Bird.

Two trumpeters in the house tonight! What’s that about waiting an age for the no.39 bus, then two come along at the same time? Michael the champ, Callum a contender.

A favourite vocalist walked in. Comes Love and Agua de Beber sung, first in English then Portuguese, by Belinda Voshtina. Backed by Pete, Paul and Matt, Belinda sang better than ever. A rare treat, come back soon Belinda. A second tranche of Sage students opted for a typically quirky time signature in tackling Take Five. Brad, guitar, Luke, guitar, and bass player Jordan were indebted to ‘5/4’ Matt’s steadying influence.

Peter Gilligan took Seven Steps to Heaven to new heights, and, for the record, Edgar Bell, unamplified, sitting to one side, unobtrusively knocked out the chords a la Freddie Green and stayed on with Gowland for a tour de force Now’s the Time. To close another varied session, we heard a seasonal Autumn in New York/Newcastle.   
A busy night, on and off the stand. Note to all music students…make the Jazz Café’s jam  session (first and third Tuesdays in the month) your second home.                
Russell.

Peter Gilligan (piano), Paul Grainger (double bass) & Matthew McKellar (drums) +  Paul Ruddick (alto saxophone), Paul Gowland (soprano saxophone), Michael Lamb (trumpet), Edgar Bell (acoustic guitar), John Pope (double bass), Belinda Voshtina (vocals) + Paul Edis (piano) & the BMus All Stars: Callum (trumpet), Lucy (soprano saxophone), Kieren (guitar), Adam (bass), Chris (drums), Brad (guitar), Luke (guitar) & Jordan (bass)

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