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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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ 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, December 03, 2016

Jambone @ St James’ & St Basil’s Church. Dec 2

(Review by Russell)
Jambone, Sage Gateshead’s youth jazz ensemble performed in concert in a church setting on Friday evening. St James’ and St Basil’s in Fenham, Newcastle welcomed an audience of family, friends and supporters of the band on a rain-swept night. Wine and nibbles and, perhaps surprisingly, an above-freezing venue augured well.
Jambone’s Musical Director, Dr Paul Edis played an introductory solo composition at his well-travelled keyboard. The church piano stood idly by – perhaps it wasn’t up to scratch. Montage (comp P. Edis) focused the collective mind of the congregation. The Jamboners were champing at the bit and a couple of them stepped forward to join Edis to play on the evergreen On Green Dolphin Street

Edis introduced the Ben Lawrence Trio. The pianist, B. Lawrence, the same B Lawrence, trumpet, of the hothouse Early Bird workshop band, played three tunes in the company of Alex Shipsey, bass and Dylan Thompson, drums. A bop anthem for starters – Anthropology – gave the trio the opportunity to show what they could do. The echoing acoustics, not the best, Thompson sensibly chose to use brushes for much of the evening. The waltz-time Someday My Price Will Come is a challenging tune for the more experienced musician and it is to the credit of the young trio that they gave a good account of themselves. Lawrence’s intro to the third and final number – Beatrice – caught the ear, and it was Edis who subsequently informed the audience that we had been listening to Robert Glasper’s 7/8 arrangement. Well done, lads!

Following a short interval the full band assembled on stage. In recent times Jambone has experienced administrative difficulties but under Edis’ guidance, the ensemble is now able to boast a full complement in all sections. Indeed, the band’s rhythm section featured not one but two drummers as Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich sat at the back ready to engage in   friendly battle. The Coast (comp P.Edis) introduced the band’s two flautists – Ms Megan Robinson and Ms Imogen Davies-Pugh – with further solo contributions from another of the Early Birds, pianist Philip Grobe, and the impressive guitarist, Matthew Downey.

Edis wanted to play something Christmassy…if you must (bah humbug!). Well, what do you know? Something akin to Thomas Tallis’ Forty Part Motet revealed colourful, and, at times, wonderful, near-dissonant, voicings. 3/4 but not 3/4 did what it said on the tin. Enjoyment is key, and band members were clearly enjoying themselves, exemplified by the always smiling Alex Shipsey, bass. The penultimate number of the evening featured altoist Alex Thompson. Standing out front, Alex played When All is Said and Done. One astute listener remarked: He’s got a great tone.

To close the concert, TS Monk (a religious calling for some!) with Edis’ arrangement of the great man’s Bright Mississippi. Jambone is going from strength to strength. Soloists pepper the sections – the aforementioned flautists, Nick Caughey (returning from a first term at university to play the gig), trumpet-player Lucien Guest alongside the versatile Lawrence and another Early Bird talent, James Metcalf. Oh, yes…Krupa and Rich, aka Rory Gardener and Dylan Thompson! The band gigs regularly. Hear them at HQ (Sage Gateshead, December 10) with further prestigious gigs in the book in 2017.


Jambone: saxophone: Nicholas Caughey, Ryan De Silva, Henry Schmid, Ella Talbot; flute: Megan Robinson, Imogen Davies-Pugh; trumpet: James Metcalf, Ben Lawrence, Lucien Guest; trombone: Darcy Whyatt, Kate Garnett; piano: Phillip Grobe; guitar: Matthew Downey; bass: Alex Shipsey; drums & percussion: Rory Gardener, Dylan Thompson                                    

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