Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 2026)

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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

From This Moment On

April

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Nubiyan Twist @ Digital, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £28.75 (inc. bf).
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 7:30pm. Date, time & admission TBC.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion.
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: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm.
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Thursday, November 03, 2016

CD Review: Jonathan Silk – Fragment

(Review by Russell)
Drummer Jonathan Silk’s new album on Stoney Lane Recordings features no fewer than thirty three musicians conducted by fellow drummer Andrew Bain. Thirteen of them are string players augmenting something approximating a conventional big band line-up. The strings are heard first on Introduction with tracks two and three gradually introducing one or two soloists from the jazz ensemble - first featured soloist Percy Pursglove, flugelhorn then Rob Cope, baritone, followed by other unnamed soloists from within the sections. A recording on this scale is an ambitious undertaking – both musically and financially – and Fragment succeeds magnificently.

Jonathan Silk leads from the front on the title track. A dynamic composition, several solo spots – including Andy Bunting, piano and Thomas Seminar Ford, guitar – are framed by cracking section work from all concerned. Silk’s broad palette has perhaps been coloured by mentors Vince Mendoza and Maria Schneider. Fool’s Paradise hears the multi-layers of high-octane NYC Monday night outfits yet the composer asserts his right to apply the brakes, signal a (flugel) change of direction before releasing the hand brake once more.

All compositions are by Jonathan Silk. The drummer’s writing avoids the possibility of a ‘jazz and strings’ mish mash; strings are given breathing space, the horn players are given plenty of space to play the jazz. Recorded in January 2016, Silk acknowledges a range of funders (including the BBC Performing Arts Fund) in the making of Fragment. A case of money well spent.                           
Russell.
Andrew Bain (conductor), Percy Pursglove (flugelhorn), Mike Fletcher (alto saxophone, flute), Chris Maddock (alto saxophone), John Fleming (tenor saxophone), Joe Wright (tenor saxophone), Rob Cope (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet); trumpet & flugelhorn: Tom Walsh, Reuben Fowler, Mike Adlington, Matt Gough; trombone: Kieran Mcleod, Richard Foote, Yusuf Narcin; Andy Johnson (tuba), Thomas Seminar Ford (guitar), Andy Bunting (piano, Nord), Toby Boalch (piano, Nord), Nick Jurd (double bass, electric bass), Jonathan Silk (drums), Tom Chapman (percussion); + violin: Emily Tyrrell (leader), Katrina Davies, Sarah Farmer, Ning-Ning Li, Beth Bellis, Kathryn Coleman, Zhivko Georgiev, Pei Ann Yeoh; viola: Victoria Strudwick, Eileen Smith; cello: Lucy French, Katy Nagle; double bass: Ayse Osman 


Fragment by Jonathan Silk is released on Friday 4th November on Stoney Lane Records (#SLR1977)      
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