Total Pageviews

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 16: MOBO Song @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 12 noon. Free, performances on the concourse. Line-up inc. Jazz Attack (on stage time TBC) & Jambone (12:20pm).
Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. .

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones - 1975.
Thu 20: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 20: Orange Claw Hammer + Peony @ The Globe, Newcastle.7:30pm. Orange Claw Hammer play Captain Beefheart.
Thu 20: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Featuring special guest Zoë Gilby.

Fri 21: JazzMain @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. TBC.
Fri 21: Emma Rawicz w. Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Mississippi MacDonald @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Blues.
Sat 22: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm. £16.50. SOLD OUT!
Sat 22: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

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, December 14, 2016

The Jazz North East Fluid Orchestra - a 50 years celebration @ Newcastle Arts Centre - December 13

(Review by Lance/Photo courtesy of Ken Drew.)
Possibly the most ambitious project by any regional jazz organisation, Jazz North East's 50th-anniversary celebration attracted a goodly crowd to the Arts Centre for this performance by the Jazz North East 'Fluid' Orchestra - an ensemble specially formed to celebrate the occasion.
Jazz North East came into being in 1966 as the brainchild of the late Chris Yates and was the first grant supported jazz organisation in the UK.
Beginning with a concert by Earl Hines in the, now long gone, Connaught Hall JNE presented countless jazz greats at that venue and later at the Corner House. As the legendary names fell from the tree more contemporary bands and artists took over.
Tonight was to be a celebration of those 50 years.
Not 50 years of JNE music but 50 years of social happenings and events that occurred during that period as seen through the eyes of today's 12 jazz musicians and composers rounded up to form the Fluid orchestra. An apt title given the unique instrumentation and the transient nature of the music. Theremin, viola, voice, trumpet, reeds, vibes and rhythm.
The 1960s were represented by Graham Hardy's Brasillia of the North and inspired by T Dan Smith and John Poulson rather than Earl Hines and Coleman Hawkins. Graeme Wilson's sonorous baritone brought it in before dissonance took over. Mark Williams briefly restored sanity bringing a variety of soloists into the fray. Sometimes a lone voice, occasionally a duo, often a free for all. I guess this was depicting a council meeting of the day.
The 1970s, Smoke and Mirrors, a combined effort by Zoe and Andy covers the demise and disgrace of T Dan Smith, the winter of discontent (the last one), the  3 day week and my fave film - Get Carter. Zoe wails above the ensemble  - she's at the races - the Blaydon Races. The band chants Gannin' alang and there's solos from all and sundry.
The 1980s were portrayed by Corey Mwamba's Resilience Underground - striking miners, shipyard closures, the Metro and Kevin Keegan provided the inspiration.
Into the 1990s via James Mainwaring's Fog on the Tyne - not exactly Lindisfarne - lots of freedom for the soloists.
The noughties saw Faye MacCalman and Graeme Wilson bring to life photographs of Byker with Unfolding.
The Future, described as 'Improvisation by the Orchestra', brought the whole shebang to a close although, by this time, I was aboard the Metro.
This was probably the most intense gig I've ever been to and, in truth, way out of my comfort zone. The musicianship was unbelievably superb and chapeaux to JNE for setting it up. I'm sure those of my colleagues who stayed the course will add their own take on a memorable landmark in north-east jazz.
Lance.
Andy Champion (bass/bass guitar); Stephen Hanley (drums); Mark Williams (guitar); Johnny Richards (keys/electronics); Zoe Gilby (voice); Aby Vulliamy (viola); Corey Mwamba (vibes); Beatrix Ward-Fernandez (theremin); James Mainwaring, Faye MacCalman, Graeme Wilson (various reeds); Graham Hardy (trumpet/flugel).

5 comments :

Steve T said...

A once in a lifetime event which, as a relative newcomer to the North East live Jazz scene, I felt privileged to be a part of.
Not outside my comfort zone but somewhere in the outer reaches. Zoe pointing and swinging her arm around was a sight to behold and may have even inspired me - a total football philistine - to stand in the cold and rain of Sid James' Park for hours.
The Grahams, cool as ice, Mighty AC on top, underneath, in control. But it's unfair to single out anybody; without exception they were all amazing, and who knew the theremin was so versatile; for almost as long as Jazz North East has been in existence I assumed the spacey sounds of Hawkwind came from synthesizers, but now I'm not sure.
Although never boring, across what must have been about two hours of new and difficult music, the highlight for me was in the closing minutes of Fog on the Tyne with a real King Kong moment, and they could have stayed in that groove for a round of lengthy solos from me.
The Future seemed like a massive sigh of relief by everyone on the stage, starting off scrappy and directionless, it then proved the scientific theory that order always comes out of chaos; at least with twelve world class singer and musicians in tow (does Free Jazz prove or disprove this theory? Discuss!).
The order generally came as a result of drums and vibes which, writing as a non-musician, seems to me to make sense.
Zoe, Andy and Aby, getting extraordinary sounds from the viola, brought it to an impressive close but Corey wasn't having that, setting up a brilliant coda, his own laughter finally pulling down the curtain.
A few of us chatting afterwards observed that we wouldn't be there for the centenary, but were encouraged that plenty people present will, including the two Jamboning Early Birds who'll be the only ones under seventy, which should be middle-aged by then.
Big fat kudos to everyone involved.

Dave Clarke said...

I enjoyed every minute of the Fluid Orchestra concert, considering it an entirely worthy celebration of Jazz North East's 50th anniversary. I was delighted that you, Lance, attended and reviewed the gig despite your initial reservations but must make take issue with your statement that "Jazz North East came into being in 1966 as the brainchild of the late Chris Yates."

The last thing I want to do is underplay the enormous contribution which Chris made over many years to the organisation. A contribution which, as a fellow board member, I was in a good position to observe. But credit where it's due.

Chris did not join Jazz North East until 1973 and it was established in 1966 by Northern Arts, the predecessor to the Arts Council, with a voluntary committee consisting of Don Locke ( Chair), David Bell, (Treasurer), and Alan Smith (Secretary).

Even if that founding committee served for only two years the musicians they brought to Newcastle included Earl Hines, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Stitt, Clark Terry, Bob Brookmeyer, Johnny Griffin, Ben Webster and Roland Kirk. Quite a foundation for their successors, including Chris, to build on.

Lance said...

I stand corrected! And, as one who attended an inaugural meeting with the above founding committee members, my memory should have stood me in better stead. I suppose that, because it was some years later when I actually joined the committee with Margaret, Alex, Randy and Chris etc. that I overlooked what had gone before. My apologies to all concerned and thank you Dave for reminding me that I'm getting old and my memory is fading...

Steve T said...

I'm in my mid fifties and my memory's shot; that'll teach me.
Sonny Stitt, Ben Webster and Roland Kirk? Sh!t!

martinrp said...

As usual with weekday gigs this was a no-go for me, living near Carlisle. I did, however, get to the open rehearsal at the Bridge the previous Sunday and could tell that this was going to be something special. Hope it isn't their last outing.

Blog Archive