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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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, April 13, 2017

RIP Stan Robinson (1936 - 2017)

Regrettably, I don't think I ever heard Stan Robinson either live or on record. Although, such was his reputation as a tenor, soprano, flute and clarinet player, I surely must have done. Robinson, who died on April 9, played in a host of top bands both big and small and it is inconceivable that our paths didn't cross somewhere along the line.
Those bands included Maynard Ferguson, Tubby Hayes Big Band, Alan Ganley/Keith Christie Jazzmakers, Bert Courtley and many others most of whom I've seen at one time or another - maybe I was in the right place at the wrong time or vice versa.

So, although unable to quote a personal memory I will, nevertheless, bemoan the passing of a British jazzman who certainly deserved recognition beyond his peers.
Read the warm obituary on LondonJazzNews.
Stan Robinson died 5 days short of his 81st birthday. May he rest in peace.
Lance.
PS: There's a clip on the London site of Stan Robinson playing alongside Frank Holder at the latter's 91st birthday party which reveals him to be a very gutsy player. I must have him on an album somewhere - the search begins...

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

R.I.P. Stan.
A really good musician and nice guy. I had a lesson with him....late '60's. I didn't know him, or anything about him at that time. Don Rendell had told me to call him. The lesson lasted about two hours and when I asked how much I owed him, he replied "would a pound be alright?" I didn't see him for about five years after that until he was playing at the Torrington Jazz club in Finchley, North London. He saw me and he said (like I'd just seen him yesterday) "Hello John, how's it going?"
You're going to be missed, Stan.

john said...

I lived next door to stan in the 90s what a guy great friend great sax player with a heart of gold rip mate

Unknown said...

I first heard Stan at the 606 club on Kings road in the early ‘80’s, on my first visit to London. I absolutely loved his playing, such a beautiful angular and pure approach, I met him booked my first lesson with him that evening. Over the years we became great friends, and when touring thru London years later to work at Ronnie’s, I always called Stan in advance and try to book him for more of his time for a lesson. I always had to talk him into it!
Well the word got around and soon Stan had a few saxophone player colleagues of mine from Vancouver BC Canada studying with him. We all loved him. Stan was a musicians musician, well known through reputation in jazz circles globally. Later on when studying with George Coleman in New York, I happen to mention Stan to George and George expressed being a big admirer of his playing.
No surprise that Stan was also a great story teller. He called me one day years ago to tell me about a lesson he had just taught. He had received a phone call from a woman who was a saxophone player who was interested in a lesson, citing that she had been a fan of his for years. So she booked a time with Stan. The day of, Stan was watching for her out the window of his apartment building and saw a convertible
Jaguar approaching with a woman he described as being the real life version of Jessica Rabbit behind the wheel. She pulls up in front of his building, grabs her alto from the passenger seat and buzzes Stans intercom. She comes up to his flat, Stan lets her in and they make some small talk before Stan out of sheer curiosity asks for you mind me asking, what do you do for a living?’ She says ‘I’m a saxophone player’
Stan says ‘well you obviously do very well! how can I be of any service?’ She says ‘well I’ve always had a question about the instrument and I’m wondering what this key does’ as she points to her octave key. Stan says ‘that’s your octave key, didn’t you tell me you were a professional saxophone player?!’ She replied yes. Stan then asks ‘do you mind me asking then what type of gigs do you do??’
She replies ‘I work in elite bars throughout Germany, I walk topless on the bars at last call playing my saxophone’

R.I.P. Stan

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