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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18069 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 390 of them this year alone and, so far, 68 this month (May 222).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:15pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall, Stocksfield. 1:30pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm.
Sat 24: Dean Stockdale Quartet + Mingus Sings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums) + Mingus Sings: Sara Oschlag (vocals); Alan Barnes (reeds); Tim Lapthorn (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); Clark Tracey (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sat 24: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 24: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sat 24: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 24: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 25: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Spanish City Plaza (outdoor stage). 11:30am & 1:00pm. Free. A Whitley Bay Carnival event.
Sun 25: Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion: Bandstand Sessions @ The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free. A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 1:30pm. Free.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Catriona Bourne Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Bourne (harp), Francis Tulip (guitar), James Owston (double bass), Joe Bainbridge (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Struggle Buggy @ The Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 25: Joe Steels Group + Norma Winstone (vocals); Nikki Iles (piano); Mike Walker (guitar); Steve Watts (double bass). 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Steels (guitar); Ferg Kilsby (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Susans (double bass); John Hirst (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 25: Xhosa Cole/Neil Charles/Mark Sanders @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A JNE promotion. Note: Xhosa Cole replaces Nicole Mitchell.

Mon 26: Catriona Bourne Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 26: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 27: Bold Big Band @ Newcastle Arts Centre, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £12.00. & £10.00.
Tue 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Front St., Rothbury NE65 7UT.7:30pm. £12.00.; £10.00. adv. from Tully’s (opp. venue).

Wed 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 28: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 28: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 29: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: That’s the Blues, Dad.
Thu 29: Nova.sol + Mikoudi @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 29: Front Porch Three @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Americana, blues etc.

p>Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Rivkala @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Middleton & Tonbridge Village Hall. 7:30pm.

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

Thursday, October 20, 2016

...with friends @ Newcastle o2 Academy. October 19

(Review by Russell)
Study Music at Sage Gateshead…
Nick Pride and the Pimptones with friends…
Plus Special Guests…
So read the blurb on the ticket stub. Sage Gateshead’s annual parade of tutor talent upped sticks for one night only to perform at Newcastle’s o2 Academy. An audience comprised of students and a handful of ex/non-students heard how it could/should be done. The jazz grapevine suggests the new student intake shows great promise. Expect to hear them out and about in the coming months.       
Quality is the word. The core Coast Road ensemble (Dave Camlin, Bex Mather, Bethany Elen-Coyle and Paul Susans) opened the show in typically understated fashion – walk on, plug in (acoustic guitars) and play. Original material, one of which Bex Mather sang with the Sapphires, reworked for the occasion, the vocal harmonies spot on, the quartet joined on a couple of numbers by friends Rob Walker and Paul Edis. Dave Camlin alluded to an all-too-familiar irritant – the ‘be a star in five minutes’ illusion – with Tonight Matthew, a proper tune about being oneself.
Coast Road: Dave Camlin (guitar & vocals), Bex Mather (guitar & vocals), Bethany Elen-Coyle (guitar & vocals) & Paul Susans (double bass, electric bass & vocals) + Rob Walker (drums) & Paul Edis (keyboards).

The jazz set featured Triptych. An established, occasional gigging unit, the trio played for about half an hour, four tunes, straight through, applause optional, suggested Paul Edis. It was encouraging to see Sage students (jazz, commercial, popular music, folk, community music) standing, drinks in hand, listening to their tutors, perhaps thinking ‘one day…’.  
Triptych: Paul Edis (keyboards & clarinet), Paul Susans (double bass) & Rob Walker (drums)  

Revue time! Get on down to the Pimptones. Sharp suits, sharp haircuts and on-the-money jazz-funk dancehall (Northern) soul. Killer rhythm boys Ian Paterson and Oz Cassidy had a ball, main man Nick Pride fired-off riff after riff and the Pimptones’ horns gave as good as they got; scorching alto from Alex Saxon, lung-busting trumpet from Keith Nicholson.
Two numbers in, welcome Ms Beth Macari! Hair and heels, the Pimptones’ soul sister hit the ground running. Belting out the vocals, holding her own amidst a non-stop super soul revue, Macari added another energetic dimension to Nick Pride’s blistering outfit as Sage students danced themselves into the ground. One more tune! One more tune! their plea  A request the Pimptones could hardly refuse. We got one more tune. Quite a night.                   
Nick Pride & the Pimptones: Nick Pride (guitar & vocals), Alex Saxon (alto saxophone, flute & vocals), Keith Nicholson (trumpet & vocals), Ian Paterson (electric bass & vocals), Oz Cassidy (drums) & Beth Macari (vocals).
Russell.
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