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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Cookin’ @ The Jazz Café - May 16

(Review by Russell)
The superlatives have been exhausted. A regional jam session can’t be this good. People would pay good money to hear Mark Williams, Paul Grainger and Rob Walker. The trio played three or four numbers before guitarist Williams and drummer Rob Walker stood down to allow an endless parade of first rate musicians to sit in. A piano player just turned seventeen, a drummer eighteen, joined by a twenty-ish trumpet-playing university science undergraduate, an early twenties guitar virtuoso…who needs Messrs Williams and Walker? Rumour has it they went for a curry.
A string thing to begin…Bradley Johnston, guitar, and, first time participant, folk fiddler of national renown, Andy Lawrenson playing Night and Day and A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square with Johnston’s considered intro to the latter number. West End resident (that’s West End, Newcastle, somewhat different to the London parish of the same name) Paul Ruddick joined the party, taking his customary window seat to blow some feverish alto on Nature Boy. Young bucks Joel Brown, piano, Matt MacKellar, drums, and guitarist Johnston were in on it. Terrific it was.

Matt vacated the drum chair for Matt to sit-in on a couple. That’s Berklee-bound M MacKellar out, M Fairhurst in. Spot the difference…in terms of ability, none. JP, that’s John Pope, allowed Paul Grainger to go to the men’s room, and the newly formed quintet gave a sensitive reading of John Lewis’ Skating in Central Park. Folk/jazz violinist Lawrenson returned to feature on an up-tempo After You’ve Gone with Fairhurst accenting here and there and, as the mood took him, taking an accomplished, extended solo.

Showtime! David ‘Showtime’ Gray was in the house. St Thomas, that’s the infectious St Thomas, DG is good value, every time. Waiting in the wings…Julija Jacenaite and Paul Gowland. Bradley returned to the stand, as did Matt MacKellar, to play Wave. Jacenaite’s scatting vocals, Gowland on soprano, Johnston’s killing solo…is anyone recording this stuff?

You’d be so nice to come home to sang Julija accompanied by a real find, Newcastle University student trumpeter Joe Davies, and a fizzing MacKellar on kit. It couldn’t get any better! Oh, yes it could! And it did! Vying for performance of the year, Jacenaite singing Angel Eyes with the brass boys Gray and Davies pitching in and Gowland’s soprano taking it to the summit. Almost time to get out of here…swing-time Joel Brown, cookin’ Matt MacKellar, Gowland in there, and the main man Mr Paul Grainger insisting there will never be another you.
There will never be another jam session like it…until next time!
Russell    
Mark Williams (guitar), Paul Grainger (double bass) & Rob Walker (drums) + Bradley Johnston (guitar), Andy Lawrenson (violin), Paul Ruddick (alto saxophone), Paul Gowland (soprano saxophone), Joe Davies (trumpet), David Gray (trombone), Joel Brown (piano), John Pope (double bass), Matthew MacKellar (drums), Matthew Fairhurst (drums) & Julija Jacenaite (vocals)

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

I'm getting unwarranted generosity. That solo was only 'extended' because I had no idea how many bars were in the form!

Anonymous said...

From Ann Alex, Ms Jacenaite was absolutely brilliant, the best singer I've heard this year. I'm not that fond of scat but hers fitted well into the songs, especially on 'Wave'. She 'acted' the songs well, with great aplomb and sometimes humour. I wouldn't be surprised if she's a trained actor as well.

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