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

18018 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 339 of them this year alone and, so far, 17 this month (May 7).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Thu 15: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: The Greatest in Jazz - Guitarists.
Thu 15: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 15: New Ways of Moving in the Counterworlds @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). John Garner & John Pope.

Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Sophie Speed with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ Longframlington Memorial Hall. 7:00pm (doors). Tickets: £12.00. from 01665 570984.
Fri 16: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 16: Peter Donegan & Anthony Donegan @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. ‘Lonnie Donegan - The Stories’.

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: 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).
Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. 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

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe. February 15

(Review by Russell/photo from archive)
Take it to the Bridge. Dave Weisser’s weekly workshop session has long since become a Tyneside institution. The spoils are scant, participation is reward in itself. Proceedings at the Jazz Co-op’s Globe premises got underway more or less on time – there is a vintage poster in the archives advertising the start time as ‘8.00pm-ish’ – with an octet playing an invigorating All the Things You Are.
Up jumped Rachel Richman to make it a nonet and a quick change in the drum chair with the redoubtable Norman Redhead graciously insistent that Matthew Fairhurst should take his place and we were off again with Weisser taking the vocals on Dindi. The double alto horns – Jude Murphy and Rachel Richman – took on Michael Brecker’s Midnight Voyage with Messrs Weisser and Ray Johnson in support. The inevitable round of solos can make for a frenzied atmosphere and it was down to Richman to bring about a more relaxed vibe on perhaps the tune of the night – I Thought About You (Weisser muted, Murphy on flute).
The Jazz Co-op’s hand-pull (beer) wasn’t available. A bottle of Black Sheep a good alternative, the raffle won by the barman (stewards enquiry!), and here’s one for the stats geek…Phil, as ever, doing the door, and bassist Jonathan Proud share the same birthday. What are the odds in a gathering of fifteen? Someone suggested a chorus of Happy Birthday. J. Proud, not sighted since his Legohead days, was looking to play some jazz and it can be reported he has lost none of his considerable technique. Tuesday’s Jazz Café jam session may well be graced by J. Proud.

Love for Sale (JP’s solo, Weisser’s vocal), a Freddie Hubbard waltz (Ray Johnson doing the business, likewise new boy, guitarist Pete Bennett), Murphy, flute, on A Foggy Day, it turned out to be a canny session. Blue Monk (all on the money including Roy Stephenson, guitar and veteran pianist Barry Ascroft) a highlight, almost time to go, but not before the multi-talented Jude Murphy’s impromptu scatted chorus on All of Me and Footprints. The Take it to the Bridge session will be at the Jazz Co-op’s Railway Street HQ next week, as usual, at eight o’clock (ish). Before then, the Globe on Saturday (18th) is the place to be to hear the supercharged Strictly Smokin’ Big Band working in the company of trumpet superstar Bruce Adams. The band, Adams, Alice Grace…start queuing now!  
Russell.   
Dave Weisser (cornet & vocals), Ray Johnson (trumpet, flugelhorn & congas), Jude Murphy (alto saxophone, flute, shakers & vocals), Rachel Richman (alto saxophone), Roy Stephenson (guitar), Pete Bennett (guitar), Barry Ascroft (piano), Jonathan Proud (bass), Norman Redhead (drums) & Matthew Fairhurst (drums)

1 comment :

Jim Hall (on F/b) said...

Dave Weisser is a legend

Blog Archive