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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
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: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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, November 10, 2016

Mike Durham’s Classic Jazz Party @ The Village Hotel. Nov 6, afternoon

(Review by Russell/Photo courtesy of Patti Durham & Emrah Erken)
Nicholas D Ball [pictured] revels in researching the obscure. Two banjos, piano and drums, circa 1912, was the in thing. A quartet outfit, later to add melody instruments, was ideal as a touring dance hall band, travelling light, sharing the money four ways instead of eight, ten, twelve or more. One such band, the Anniversatile Four was the focus of drummer Nick Ball’s fascinating presentation. Genuine period costume, drum kit and whistle, in half an hour Ball ran through a selection of novelty ragtime tunes with the assistance of  pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen, banjo bandits Spats Langham and Martin Wheatley, and, the melody man, Claus Jacobi, reeds. The Anniversatile Four cut a number of sides on a visit to the recording studio in Hayes, Middlesex. Ball’s bold baritone voice rang out on Araby and again on Memories. A festival highlight.

Jack Hylton plays Hot! couldn’t have provided a greater contrast. A big band of proper big band proportions, Keith Nichols led a powerful outfit playing numbers listeners will, no doubt, have on 78. If not, there will be some in a cardboard box at their local charity shop.

Hoagy demanded an intimate gathering. Trumpeter Menno Daams assembled an ace line-up lineup: Richard Exall, reeds, Graham Hughes, trombone, David Boeddinghaus, piano, Martin Wheatley, guitar, and Josh Duffee (drums).

Mid-Sunday afternoon, it was time to hear the Henry Red Allen small groups. Clarence Williams’ Sister Kate and Buster Bailey’s Call of the Delta were sung by trumpeter Bent Persson leading a fine small group including Lars Frank and Richard Exall, reeds, Henry Lemaire playing guitar on this session, and drummer Richard Pite. The afternoon session drew to a close with the two-reed Winteler meets Bonnel. When first reading through a festival programme certain names stand out, they can be underlined, as sure-fire winners. Thomas Winteler and Jean François Bonnel are two such names. Add classically trained pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen, Malcolm Sked, bass and the brilliant Josh Duffee, drums, to the line-up and it’s got to be a winner. Well, it was. Wonderful frontline clarinets, and occasional saxophone, the perfect rhythm section, what more could one ask? Bechet had to feature – he did, and at times Winteler, standing to take a solo, had Bechet’s sound off to a tee. At one juncture, Winteler, listening to a Bonnel solo exclaimed: Yeah, man! The Frenchman said they would go out on a blues, very blues, he said. A superb set.                   

(Russell)

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