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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.

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.

Tue 08: ???

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, March 18, 2017

CD Review: Erin Dickins - Vignettes

Back in 2011 I interviewed Erin after hearing her album Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast. I was knocked out then and I'm reeling again listening to this new one. Erin, a founder member of Man Tran, finishes her European tour tomorrow night (Sunday March 19) at London's legendary '606' Club. Talk about Blues to be There!
Track 1: Erin Girl For Rhythm//Jumping With Symphony Sid. A clever merging of the two riff tunes with Erin sounding smoky and swingy. The nightclub chanteuse/the girl next door. All but two of the tracks on Vignette has Erin accompanied by a sole multi-instrumentalist - in this case - Paul Jost, a world class singer himself who pitches in on drums, vocal bass and harmonica.
Track 2: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight: Bob Dylan is becoming a more and more frequent name on these pages. Danny Levin is Erin's companion on this one providing piano, violin, cello and keyboards - ah! the beauty of multi-tracking. Listening to Erin singing the emotive words I can tell her straight that I'd love to be her baby tonight...
Track 3: Jackie. Remember the Annie Ross take on Wardell Gray's Twisted? 'course you do. Well, Annie followed that up with this one, also based on a Wardell solo. Erin does it justice with only Bruce Hamada on bass for support. Faultless.
Track 4: O Grande Amor. A Jobim song, David Friedman on vibes and Erin singing in Portuguese. She sounds like she was born with coffee in her veins. Time for some java myself...
Track 5: Came So Far For Beauty. We've had Dylan and Jobim and, now Leonard Cohen who's another guy turning up quite regularly these days. John Lissauer on piano, sax and keyboards makes me wonder what the rate is for all these doubles, trebles etc!
Track 6: Which Way Steinway. The collaborator on this one is composer, pianist, bassist, guitarist, A.J. Croce (son of Jim and Ingrid). The tune is an out and out swinger with the pair displaying their jazz chops to the world.
Track 7: A Bicyclette: Sung in French, Erin sounds like she was born with Burgundy in her veins.
 and, on piano, Rob Mounsey provides the aperitif.
Track 8: Wonderful World. Not the Louis Armstrong hit but the earlier Sam Cooke classic. A superb song with Steely Dan guitarist Elliott Randall along with Steve Donnelly (acc. guitar); 'Level' Neville Malcolm (bass); Andy Treacey (drums) and, of course, Erin singing that catchy opening verse;
Don't know much about Geography, Don't know much about Biology, Don't know much about Science books, Or the French I took, But I do know that I love you etc.
Track 9: Black Trombone. A big band setting with the Zaremba Jazz Fellowship and trombone solos by Brian Woodbury. Leader Drew Zaremba plays piano and clarinet, Erin sings once more in French and the band have a wonderful 1930s feeling.
Track 10: We'll Be Together Again. The Frankie Laine/Catl Fischer opus has Erin and pianist Stef Scaggieri combining for a beautiful reading of one of my favourite songs.

If only I wasn't convalescing, If only I was in London tomorrow night at the '606'. But I'm not even in Newcastle for our own hot ticket gig SSBB at Hoochie Coochie which is equally unmissable.
Lance.
Samples/Purchase - release date March 31.

2 comments :

Ann Alex said...

Hello Lance, Just to wish you the best for your convalescence, hope to see you back at the Globe soon.

Lance said...

Thank you Ann, you are most kind but, this posst isn't about me, it's about Erin Dickins who is a very fine singer indeed and a model for any aspiring vocalists.

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