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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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

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 17, 2016

Up with the Larks @ The Lit & Phil. Dec 17

(Review by Russell).
The Early Birds were up and about at the crack of dawn today. Teenage musicians – on this occasion nine of them – met at the Lit & Phil on Westgate Road for another of their Saturday morning workshops under the tutelage of Paul Edis. An hour or so later it was time to admit the public for their regular half hour set.
But Not for Me for starters with a startlingly good alto solo by Ryan De Silva. Pianist Ben Lawrence, usually heard playing trumpet, brought along an as yet untitled number with a Latin feel to it. Trumpeter James Metcalf took a good look at it with an extended solo and drummer Matt McKellar took command of it to take it home.
A testing ballad for the Early Birds – Georgia – opened with Alex Thompson’s alto sax, De Silva made his mark, so too Andrew ‘Teagarden’ Hedges, trombone, and the engine-room guitarist Matthew Downey. Full marks! Thompson featured on the Dexter Gordon classic Cheese Cake with Metcalf and McKellar engaging in a bout of fours. A graduate of the Early Bird collective Dan Lawrence sat in on the final two numbers (young bassist Alex Shipsey sitting out having played excellently). Dan is home on leave from his first term at the Royal Northern College of Music. Dan and Alex are two rapidly developing talents. We heard Doxy featuring Alex Thompson and the impressive Ben Lawrence. As a depping piano player (Philipp Grobe was elsewhere) Ben cut the bop mustard. Brother Dan – shoeless but anything but clueless – soloed with aplomb. To close, a blues in F. A blues in any key, you can’t go far wrong. This being the season of goodwill and all that, a liberal sprinkling of tinsel-covered Christmas quotes were tossed around. Was it Downey who started it? No matter, it was all good fun. Note – Paul Edis brought along his shiny new toy. A tenor sax, no less. The man has been in the woodshed. Whatever next? Sitting in the saxophone section of one of the regions fine big bands? Stranger things have been known to happen. And, with Ben Lawrence doing the business at the keyboard, Dr Edis could well find himself looking for other opportunities! The Lit & Phil facilitated series of Early Bird workshops will resume in 2017. Details to be advised.               
Russell.
The Early Birds: James Metcalf (trumpet), Alex Thompson (alto sax), Ryan De Silva (alto sax), Andrew Hedges (trombone), Ben Lawrence (piano), Matthew Downey (guitar), Alex Shipsey (bass) & Matthew McKellar (drums), Dan Lawrence (bass) + Paul Edis (tenor sax)

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