Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + SH#RP Collective with Lindsay Hannon - open rehearsal.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Guests: Jeremy McMurray (piano); Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Mark Toomey (alto sax); Mark Hawkins (drums); Adrian Beadnell (bass).

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Struggle Buggy @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Boys of Brass @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 06: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £14.00. Tel: 0191 237 3697. ‘Victory in Europe Afternoon Tea’ (VE Day 80th anniversary).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: FILM: Whiplash @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 8:15pm.

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                                    

No comments :

Blog Archive