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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

Wednesday, November 09, 2016

The Bad Plus + Binker & Moses @ Sage Gateshead - November 8

The Bad Plus: Ethan Iverson (piano); Reid Anderson (bass); David King (drums).
(Review by Steve T).
Five superb musicians in two bands, each band inciting a fascinating discussion about the current state and possible future direction of Jazz. 
The Bad Plus have hit upon the idea that they can use multiple modern pop music and rock music in the way that Jazz musicians have always used the Great American Songbook. This itself was nothing new in that many of the 'great' classical composers stole melodies from European folk music, much of which is long since forgotten.
In my view, the Great American Songbook are amongst the greatest songs ever written and, at least prior to Sinatra, were not automatically associated with specific artists. In my view, neither of these statements are necessarily true of modern pop music. However, they feature melodies: verses and choruses which people of a certain age know, which gives them a head start playing Bad Plus music. In other words, I believe the song to be less important than what the artist does with it.
The Bad Plus covers repertoire is varied, ranging from Stravinsky to Johnny Cash, and no two people will agree on which originals are good and which are naff, but this doesn't seem to be a reliable guide anyway; I never imagined I could enjoy versions of records by Blondie and Nirvana.
Furthermore, reading notes on their albums the band don't make qualitative statements about the songs they cover but talk about lovingly or ruthlessly deconstructing them.
Tonight we got deconstructed versions of songs by Cindy Lauper, Crowded House, Kraftwerk and Johnny Cash, the latter stretching my theory to the limit. There was another piece which sounded like a famous classical piece I couldn't name but turned out to be an original, possibly influenced by it. Furthermore, as so often happens, the band originals worked equally as well as the more familiar covers. 
When they announced the last number, it seemed as if they'd only just arrived but, on checking, they'd been on for over an hour. In a frail voice, which could have been Paul Simon, bass player Reid Anderson sang about how cold Gateshead is but where they come from is even colder and, if Trump wins the election (and writing this at 5am it's almost certain he has), they'll be coming to live here.
An encore and a few left but they were all back for a second encore, a rarity for a band these days which earned them rapturous applause.

Economic conditions have factored prominently in the history of Jazz, in the evolution of the standard quintet when so few bandleaders could maintain big bands, and the Hammond trio where (mostly but not exclusively) guitarists could have one person playing Hammond in place of bass and piano.
In the current climate, particularly in this country, it is far more financially viable to play as part of a duo. If one is a piano, clearly that will make a huge difference, and there are things you can do with two guitars, but how does it work with sax and drums? 
Binker and Moses: Binker Golding (tenor sax) and Moses Boyd (drums).
Binker and Moses did three pieces over about thirty minutes. The first and last were particularly free-form, though a few minutes into the first, it settled into some good old 4/4, though clearly with lots of embellishment. The middle piece was far more melody driven, and one of those things that sounds like you've always known it, complete with Latin style rhythms, but I felt would have benefited from a bass. The final piece had them both going full pelt and could have so easily been a mess, but the extraordinary musicianship and telepathy between them ensured it never faltered. 
The template for sax and drums must be Interstellar Space by Coltrane but I confess I could never get away with it, though I've been promising myself for years I'd revisit it. I think every Joe Lovano album I've ever heard has a sax/drums duo and it works really well so I think a track on an album and a support spot is fine, but I'm not sure if it's sustainable over an album or for a major headline act.
A good night - Irene and James Birkett agreed - and plenty to talk about.   
Steve T.

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