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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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

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

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Finn Whettam Rhodes @ Quakerhouse, Darlington. Nov 13

Abbie Finn (drums), Joe Whettam (guitar) & Alistair Rhodes (bass) + Beth Roberts (alto saxophone), Omar Shade (tenor saxophone), Matthew Robinson (trumpet) &
Tom McDonald (trombone)
(Review by Russell/Photo from archive)
Drummer Abbie Finn came to prominence in the Durham County Youth Big Band. At present studying at Leeds College of Music, Finn recently made a big impression when sitting in at the Jazz Café’s regular jam session up the road in Newcastle. A Darlington Jazz Club engagement at the Quakerhouse is a home turf gig for Finn and no doubt felt relaxed about performing in front of so many familiar faces. Joining the drummer on an early Sunday evening gig were fellow Leeds undergraduates Joe Whettam and Alistair Rhodes.
The upstairs room in the ancient Quakerhouse pub on Mechanics’ Yard filled up with a large turn out there to hear one of their own. Finn Whettam Rhodes – a matter of equal billing – worked as a ‘standards’ trio: Nica’s Dream, Well, You Needn’t, a march-tempo drum pattern introducing On Green Dolphin Street, Finn assured, her bandmates a little tentative. Realising they were among jazz friends, Whettam and Rhodes began to play. Guitarist Joe Whettam, playing a Stratocaster, is a welcome departure from the student guitar shredding fraternity. The lightest of touches, timing, the ability to find space and refrain from filling it with another chord, another note, Whettam impressed. Footprints featured the guitarist and Solar featured the trio, with Alistair Rhodes undemonstrative, occasionally singing along to his bass solo, closing the first set.
Second set: Finn opted to use brushes in the close confines of the award-winning Camra hostelry with an effortless round of fours on Tadd Dameron’s Ladybird. Bassist Rhodes won applause for a considered solo on a seasonal Autumn Leaves and the trio impressed with a delicate reading of All the Things You Are. Darlington’s next generation (a year or two younger than Abbie, Joe and Alistair) sat in on a couple of numbers including There Will Never Be Another You. For the record, the four names to note: Beth Roberts (alto), Omar Shade (tenor), Matthew Robinson (trumpet) and Tom MacDonald (trombone).       
Finn, Whettam and Rhodes are a fine example of jazz education in action. There is little doubt we’ll be hearing more from the trio in future, and, before too long, many others!
Russell.

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