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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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 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. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

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

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Big Bad Wolf @ Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. April 9. Jazz North East.

Rob Luft (guitar, vocals), Owen Dawson (trombone, synthesizer, vocals), Michael de Souza (Fender bass 6, vocals), Jay Davis (wonderfully coloured drums).
(Review by Steve T/Photo courtesy of Ken Drew).
When Steve Hackett auditioned for Genesis, Gabriel (Peter) noted that all the guitarists coming through were about 'flash', while Steve was more about colours. There was ample evidence here of the flash that Luft is more than capable of (as was Hackett), but it was sparse and tastefully spread over the two sets, with more multi colors than Saturday morning TV in the 1970’s.
Luft made the announcements, advising that they record themselves improvising, cut it up and play it with virtually no improvising; what he likes to call Reverse Jazz.
Each of them, apart from the drummer, did some singing, some with lyrics and some without, occasionally a little like the efforts of Tony Williams and Stanley Clarke in the early days of fusion, but had it been 1972, white British musicians making this music would have gone straight to the prog rock camp. Think Pink Floyd with a kick-ass drummer, a brilliant guitarist and a pair of b^!!$.  
As a technophobe, the stacks of pedals sometimes seem as difficult to manage as playing the instruments, but there was plenty of musicianship on show from all concerned.
Drummer Jay Davis playing masterful syncopation through multiple shifts in pace and time signatures.
Owen Dawson playing the ‘bone mostly for melody and atmosphere, until the final piece where he took an impassioned solo, the longest of the set and the only one to draw applause, but it's often the case in this type of setting that solos and their endings are difficult to pin down; the old Weather Report idea of we never solo we always solo.
Michael de Souza played a Fender bass 6 which enabled him to slip seamlessly between bass, rhythm and a fine lead part during the penultimate track.
Luft took two sublime solos during set one and his rhythm and comping was immaculate throughout. I hoped he would follow the trombone solo with a barnstorming solo to finish, but he went for jouissance which worked for me, while leaving me wanting more. Maybe next time he'll bring a trio which will be amazing in a different way.
I tend to make a note of appropriate guitar names and get into bother for always including Metheny, but we agreed on Mike Walker and Steve Howe, while FDT suggested Alan Holdsworth, prog turned Jazz rocker, former Level 42er who some consider the greatest ever.
There were overt influences from Brazil, some ambience and some strikingly beautiful soundscapes in a set drawn mostly from the imminent album which, unless you hate this strand of Jazz, I strongly recommend you give a listen to.
A couple of dozen made this the busiest I've ever seen it and great to see a number of young people, including some females but don't worry, the boys were far more afraid of them than they were of the boys.
Steve T.

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