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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Monday, January 23, 2017

Budtet @ The Globe Jazz Bar - January 21

Stuart Finden (tenor sax), Fiona Finden (vocal, soprano sax), Jude Murphy (vocal, alto sax), Lin Lee Wong (piano), Jim Crinson (bass), Eric Stutt (drums).+ Dave Weisser (cornet/vocal).
(Review by Steve T/photos courtesy of Stu Finden). 
If Friday night was about 'serious' Jazz, tonight's Jazz Coop gig was about having fun. That's not intended as a derogatory statement, alongside the standard quintet, imbibing and Chinese food, having fun is one of my favourite things.
The  Message and Stu’s Bloos led to Four on Sixa Wes Montgomery piece with lyrics by Fiona Finden, who sang and played un-straightened soprano sax.

Jude introduced Like Someone in Love as having a theatrical intro which she played to the max throughout the song. Move over Liza Minnelli.
Corcovado was followed by Teaneck which led to an exchange in the band as to whether it was written by Nat or Cannonball. The brothers, alongside Ellington/Strayhorn and Davis/Evans (Bill), are often the subject of this type of discussion. My copy of Mercy Mercy Mercy says it's by Cannonball Adderley, not Joe Zawinul. I can see a time when SinAtra never made a record and Elvis only made one, or two halves. Lance and I have both claimed recently, it's not just the song but what the artist does with it.
Mr PC closed side one and another saxophonist with JC all over his sleeves.
Once more we got added lyrics with the saxy ladies harmonising well together, but they stuck with Paul Chambers rather than transferring them to their own bass player.
Side two opened with more lyrics added to a classic which, as a track from Jazz' very own(ly) sacred cow - Kind of Blue - may or may not be sacrilegious. Many of the audience of just under thirty, which is a good number for the size of the venue, were friends of members of the band, especially the seriously impressive pianist, and it was fascinating and quite encouraging to see people who didn't appear to be Jazz folk, clearly well versed in that album. Jude switched to flute which I've never heard on All Blues, gradually introducing the vocalising technique Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson stole from Roland Kirk and she duly ended the piece on one leg, which I'm sure she didn't even notice.
One Note Samba, I Fall in Love too Easily, Groovin High and Secret Love before Dave Weisser joined them for Yardbird Suite and Take the A Train, adding muted trumpet and some seriously impressive singing.
Rather more vocals added to classics than I would play at home, but each of the singers acquitted themselves well. If Jude was Liza Minnelli, Fiona was Doris Day but, if she lacked the grain of the great soul singers, she displayed the fragility and vulnerability of the best ones.
How often do you get Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane in a single night? 

Steve T.

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