GIJF: All About The Concourse

(Review by Ann Alex).

Saturday

I should have known nothing of the concourse on Saturday afternoon as I was supposed to be at the Jazz Co-op workshop, but flash floods at South Shields had me temporarily housebound so I eventually rolled into Sage Gateshead at about 3.30pm to catch the end of Triptych, lovely lyrical piano from Paul Edis.  Spine-tingling African voices then arose as Alfredo Rodriguez tuned up, piano, drums, bass and electronic effects, and Besame Mucho rang out, then a tune with a Caribbean sound came from the piano which managed to sound like a steel pan. Clever stuff indeed, very atmospheric. And as usually happens on the concourse, three children were running around and dancing sporadically, and one little girl had a Peppa Pig to help her along.

The bands were playing in the position where the cafe counter normally is, which gives an improvement in the acoustics. Perhaps a bit too much of an improvement as some of the bands were very loud this year, which a few people commented on. Miles Mosley sounded too loud from a distance, but better closer to the stage. Then came the Sage young musicians band Jazz Attack, conducted by Paul Edis, playing clarinet and guiding the young musicians like a mother hen. We had trumpet, 3 saxes, piano, guitars and drums, playing excellently, tunes such as Sack Of Woe (Adderley), the band’s composition Meal Deal, How High The Moon, St James Infirmary Blues, and finishing with the band’s Receding Hairline. Apparently they’d been playing by ear, with lots of collaborating, and it must be working as they were good. The future of jazz is safe in their hands. Some of them looked about only 12 years old – look out 18 year olds, the youngsters are coming!

The Stephen Wetherell Quartet were on next but it was time to eat. More tomorrow.

Sunday

I was listening from my shift on the Jazz Co-op stand, and also meeting many people, including Laura, Sheila and Monty the dog, Chris Finch and his young fledgling, also fellow BSH writer Stephen T. I’m so glad to make his acquaintance at last, so that I can look around at gigs to make sure we’re not both covering the same band for review. I Got to sign up a few people who’d like to receive information about the Co-op and the Globe. All good news.

Paul Edis was playing and chatting pleasantly, English Country Garden and Greensleeves  on piano, not clarinet this time. The John Pope Quintet (trumpet, 2 saxes, bass, drums) did a great set of Ornette Coleman tunes, which must have sounded outlandish when first heard, but sound almost normal now, if jazz can ever sound normal. The In/Out Trio (sax, drums, bass) played a continuous mixture of tunes, very pleasing, such as Bye Bye Blackbird, There’ll Never Be Another You, All Right With Me. The jazz graduate band Taupe (bass guitar, sax, drums) were rather loud for my taste, but I guess it’s a chance to experiment with dynamics. Then it was time to eat.

That was my concourse for another year.

Ann Alex