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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.

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.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

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, October 15, 2016

Basin Street Brawlers @ Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.

Pete Horsfall (tpt/vcl); Malcolm Earle-Smith (tmb/vcl); Ewan Bleach (alt/clt); Martin Wheatley (gtr); Colin Good (pno).
(Review/ Photos by Lance).
The Trans-Pennine train took 29 minutes to reach Darlington. In the carriage, which resembled a sardine tin, 40 or so revelers intent on laying siege to York were already on their third lager as us sober ones alighted - York, you have been warned!
Inside the St. Augustine's Centre, home of Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club, sanity prevailed as the Basin Street Brawlers took to the stage.
No doubt in deference to their hosts, the Brawlers stomped off with High Society complete with the obligatory Picou clarinet solo. However, this is more than a New Orleans style trad band even though some of the numbers did relate to the turn of the century Crescent City - Winin' Boy Blues and Milenburg Joys being prime examples.
Methinks, though, their true forte is the 1930's Harlem jump bands typified by those led by Henry 'Red' Allen. Indeed, at times, Horsfall's trumpet solos could have been by the great man. Bleach blew period alto in the manner of Pete Brown or Charlie Holmes and brought Albert Nicholas to mind on clarinet whilst Earle-Smith was Jack to a T(eagarden)  and Martin Wheatley? Well, Eddie Lang, Carl Kress, George Barnes? you name it!
Colin Good did the business on keys and, with Wheatley aiding and abetting, it was three numbers in before I realised there wasn't a drummer or a bass player - that's how solid they were!
High Society; Cocktails For Two; Crazy Rhythm; Tight Like That (vocal by Horsfall and the title track of their last CD); If Dreams Come True (Horsfall , vocal); Petite Fleur (Bleach featured); Truckin' (my first set fave); Winin' Boy Blues (vocal PH); Milenburg Joys; Fidgety Feet.
Wow! A good set and worth taking the D Train.
Nice to meet the club organisers, whom I knew from email, to renew acquaintance with Diane Young, chat with Pete Horsfall and, as the fates decreed, to win a bottle of Cotes du Rhône in the raffle so, if the typos start appearing, blame it on Les French. The bottle label suggested that I "Drink on release or allow to mature for a year or two". I opted for the former... 
Back on stage the Brawlers gave us: When I Grow Too Old to Dream; That's a Plenty; a couple of vocals from Earle-Smith - If I Could be With You One Hour Tonight and Fats Waller's Ain'tcha Glad. Jazz me Blues and The Lamp is Low were next. Most knew The Lamp is Low was based on a composition by Ravel, some recalled the Chet Baker version but, the burning question was, who stole it from Maurice (Ravel)?
Peter de Rose.
Rose had form in the songwriting stakes (Somebody Loves me; Deep Purple; On a Little Street in Singapore and Bueno Sera among others) so it's not surprising he did a job on The Lamp is Low - as did Horsfall.
China Boy; If We Never Meet Again and Swing that Music brought a memorable session to a close.
They're on at Boston Spa tonight so, if you hurry, you might catch a couple of numbers.
Great band and, St. Augustine's is a great venue - now where did I put that corkscrew?
Lance.

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

Thanks Lance, great to meet you at last and an accurate review of a fantastic day with these quality musicians.
Hope to see you again and who knows you may win the white next time
Best regards
Ray Sams
Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club
www.darlingtonjazz.co.uk

Liz said...

yes, they all arrived in York as you predicted,or so it seemed !!

Anonymous said...

Oh yes - a fantastic band indeed - and what a great repertoire! Every player the tops too ..... and how cool they looked in their suits. Not quite Reservoir Dogs, but very stylish! Classy jazz - hot and tight, just the way I like it! The Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club certainly books a great variety of bands - and is certainly bold enough to make eclectic choices.

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