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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

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: MOBO Song @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 12 noon. Free, performances on the concourse. Line-up inc. Jazz Attack (on stage time TBC) & Jambone (12:20pm).
Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt 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. .

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones - 1975.
Thu 20: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 20: Orange Claw Hammer + Peony @ The Globe, Newcastle.7:30pm. Orange Claw Hammer play Captain Beefheart.
Thu 20: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Featuring special guest Zoë Gilby.

Fri 21: JazzMain @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. TBC.
Fri 21: Emma Rawicz w. Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

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

Monday, October 31, 2016

Hannabiell and Midnight Blue @ Trimdon Colliery and Deaf Hill Working Mens Club October 30

Hannabiell Sanders (trombone, percussion), Mercedes Philips (sax, percussion), Luke Gaul (guitar), James Robson (bass), Joe Hawke (drums), Yilis Suriel (percussion), Mark Barfoot (percussion).
(Review by Steve T)
Sunday nights in out of the way places seem to be becoming as commonplace as elongated reviews, swipes at mass media pop icons and imbibing, a splendid word that's slipped into my own personal parole, courtesy Mr Edis senior.
The Trimdons: Village, Colliery and Station are part of the old coal-mining community in County Durham and this was the closing event of Trimfest, an eleven-day 'celebration of art, music and cultures from across the world', funded by Gem Arts and the lottery.
The club official who introduced the band guessed we weren't in for Whiskey in the Jar - only from the bar - but promised 'Afro-Caribbean and Latin percussion, Jazz, Afro-beat and reggae' wondering out loud 'God knows what that is'.
Stage cluttered with more percussion than Keith Moon had onstage completely out of his reach (oops, there I go again), part of a hefty rhythm section with a guitar uncompromisingly set to 'heavy'.
A lively, chatty, charismatic leader, seriously impressive on trombone and percussion, and an amazing saxophonist with real feel for Jazz, repeated solos never becoming boring, great horn section work with the leader and terrific exchanges with the guitar.
It could have slipped into 'streets of brass' but never did, because of the level of musicianship, including people who know how to play percussion and aren't just banging away at something while resting their first instrument, solid fusion style bass and Santanaesque guitar.
Featuring all original material, the highlight for me was Pacos Funk.
Wah wah guitar, Mark Barfoot slapping his djembe like ' Master' Henry Gibson with Curtis Mayfield, pumping hot bass-line, horns in unison then sax slipped into solo, 'Master' Mark upping the pressure, guitar solo continuing a tradition of rock guitar in funk going back to Eddie Hazel (Funkadelic), Ernie Isley and Drac (Slave).
The horns came back in behind the solo, the whole band 'cookin' and the audience of well over forty 100% attentive, clapping along and cheering and whooping at the end.
They're a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic band, mostly former students of Newcastle University and led by the ever energetic Hannabiell, with a PHD in Protest Culturewhich gives their album its name.
As multi-culturalism seeps through the farthest reaches of Britain, expect to see them at the most unlikely places. She's on a mission to save the world with music and who's to say she won't succeed.
Steve T.



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