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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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, February 11, 2017

Alan Barnes with Paul Edis and Friends @ Opus 4 Jazz Club. Feb 10


 Alan Barnes (alto sax & clarinet), Paul Edis (piano), Francis Tulip (guitar), Mick Shoulder (double bass) & Russ Morgan (drums)
(Review by Russell/photos courtesy of Jerry)
The Traveller’s Rest doesn’t in anyway resemble the many iconic images of the New York skyline. A suburban public house in Darlington is a million miles from NYC. Thinking about it, it’s more like 3500 miles. This Friday evening the Coxhoe-based Sonnet 43 Brewery occupied one of the many hand pulls on the bar. A pint of Yellow Cab (an American style lager) was the obvious choice. Hey, bartender, gimme a pint of that Yellow Cab! Punters came in off the sidewalk…There’s a jazz gig here tonite, right? The bartender replied: Upstairs, take the stairs, no elevator.
Opus 4 Jazz Club convenes once a month in the no-elevator upstairs room at no.2 West Auckland Road. Tonight’s gig generated unprecedented interest necessitating reservations being taken days before Alan Barnes arrived to play a gig in the company of his friend, the fine pianist Paul Edis. At short notice Edis was to be late arriving in Darlington. To quote A Barnes: Paul has been taken of that rock and roll illness…money! What to do? Make a first call to a first class guitarist, that’s what. Francis Tulip, currently studying at Birmingham Conservatoire, made the trip north to dep for buck-chasing Edis (only kidding, Paul!). An explanation is due – an offer to open for Madeleine Peyroux at Sage Gateshead isn’t one to turn down, so Edis took the gig. You would, wouldn’t you? 
As Edis took to the stage in Gateshead, Alan Barnes and Francis Tulip decided to play some jazz. Rehearsal? No. Top and tail a couple of charts? No. Barnes knew Tulip could play (they shared the stand at last year’s Ushaw Durham Jazz Festival) and in the estimable company of Mick Shoulder (bass) and Russ Morgan (drums) this promised to be something special. On Green Dolphin Street for openers, Barnes leading the way, Tulip to follow. Darlington regulars knew all about A Barnes, now they now about F Tulip. The senior man suggested Donna Lee (your scribe scribbling WOW! and that’s before they played a note of it!). Barnes to Tulip: You’re tempo. Well, how about typical Donna Lee breakneck? Tulip set off at the speed of light, the killing tempo stretching bassist Mick Shoulder to the limit, drummer Morgan likewise. Barnes was up for it, bop alto paradise!
Bluesette with Barnes on clarinet was right up Mick Shoulder’s Manouche thoroughfare, the gig a delight, Paul Edis nowhere in sight. The interval: Edis arrives, just in time for the raffle. A quick set up and we were ready for more. East of the Sun and West of the Moon (Shoulder’s classy solo), a One Note Samba, with, as Barnes observed, many notes somewhere in the middle, and a fabulous Laura, normal order had been restored – Edis’ chordal contribution adding to Tulip’s. How High the Moon?, Body and Soul, this was the gig that just kept on giving.
Russell.                               
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