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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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
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: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ 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. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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, November 05, 2016

CoCo Rouzier w. Pete Gilligan Trio + Saxophonics @ Jazz Café - November 4.

 CoCo Rouzier (vcl); Pete Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Rob Walker (dms).
(Review by Lance/Photos courtesy of Mike Tilley)
Circumstances decreed that I miss this year's Classic Jazz Party. However, with Russell in situ, the weekend is being covered (watch this space).
Instead, I was patrolling the Pink Lane beat. CoCo Rozier was headlining at the Jazz Café. The reports were good - check her out.
The reports were wrong, she wasn't good, she was MAGIC! This wasn't Friday night in Newcastle - it was Friday night in Harlem, or Pittsburgh or Washington DC where Rouzier hails from.
In fact, if ever the Classic Jazz Party extends its parameters by say 10 years then CoCo will be in line to take over the spot once held by Cecile!
That's how good she is.
Gilligan and co were up for it. From the opening One Note Samba the audience (of which there could have been more) knew they were in for a treat. East of the Sun; Hallelujah I Just Love Him So; Perhaps, Perhaps,Perhaps; I Got Rhythm; My Favourite Things - this was neither Julie Andrews or John Coltrane but, delightfully, somewhere in the middle - finally S'Wonderful and it was exactly that.
CoCo has an engaging personality and a jazz voice that echoes (and only echoes because she's very much her own woman) Ella, Sarah, Dee Dee and maybe every other jazz diva that ever lived. Discovering CoCo is like getting in on the ground floor of  Ella ahead of Norman Granz.
A brief chat with CoCo and a promise to catch her at the Cherry Tree (9 Osborne Rd., Jesmond) on Tuesday. A bottle of Grainger Ale and the [hypothetical] curtain rose for the second set.
Autumn Leaves; The Man I Love - they don't come much better than this! A tour de force Take the A Train; a bluesy Since I Fell for You; an original which may have been called Rescue then It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got that Swing - it had that swing tonight! 
The evening drew to a triumphant close with What'd I Say?
This had been an eye opener - tremendous!
Roll on Tuesday!
Saxophonics: Keith Robinson (alto); Steve Summers (alto/tenor); Alan Marshall (tenor); Niall Armstrong (baritone).
Earlier, the four-man saxophonics sax quartet played to a more select audience. They're a polished ensemble and, although Graeme Wilson has departed (leaving some of his scores behind) replacement Alan Marshall does the job admirably.
Armstrong is, as ever, a power of strength, pumping away on baritone sax compensating for the bass whilst adding his own harmonies to the mix. Contrapuntal jazz chamber music. Mainly originals the standout number was the enigmatically titled Strangled at the Wine Bar. A good opening set missed by those who didn't appear until the second set - their loss.
Lance.

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

Lance - the tune was 'Stranded at the Wine Bar' not 'Strangled' - a beautiful piece all the same penned by Graeme Wilson. Alan M

Pam Young (on f/b) said...

Fabulous gig thankyou Coco Rouzier you were beautiful. Peter Gilligan Paul Grainger and Rob Walker did the business and some x

Unknown said...

Catch Coco, Peter and Paul with Dave Swanson on drums at Whighams Jazz Club, Edinburgh tomorrow evening - 6th November

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