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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

17744 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 64 of them this year alone and, so far, 64 this month (Jan. 26).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. 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.

Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 12 noon-2:00pm (two sets). £12.00. admission (card or cash at the door). Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums). Note change of venue, no longer at Mrs M’s as advertised, the concert will be in the Old Library (Bishop Auckland Jazz’s regular venue). Important! It’s a ‘BYOB’ arrangement - ie bring your own booze (and/or tea, coffee, soft drinks).
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:00pm. ‘Klezmer, Gypsy Jazz, Balkan & More!’.
Fri 31: Nothing in Rambling @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £10.00. + bf. Country blues duo.
Fri 31 Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Wylam Institute. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. + £1.50. bf.
Fri 31: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £10.00 + bf. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.
Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00 Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 31: SwanNek + Rivkala @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. SwanNek’s new single launch gig. Pilgrim, formerly Hoochie Coochie.

February 2025

Sat 01: Alan Barnes & John Hallam with the Tom Kincaid Trio @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - Cy Coleman’s Witchcraft. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 01: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 01: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Western swing etc.

Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 02: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 02: Jive Aces @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Sun 02: John Pope + Andy Champion + Ian Paterson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Subterranean Explorations 1’. Three (half hour) solo bass sets.
Sun 02: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

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, June 06, 2017

Notes from day two of Durham City Jazz Festival - June 2

(Review by Steve T/Photos courtesy of Carlo Viglianisi)
The day I was reunited with my old mate Al Cohol. The day the focus shifted from Empty Shop to the festival hub at Fowlers Yard, away from the clutches of Carlo to his (if not silent then less noisy) partner Nick and Festival Mistress-mind Heather Spencer, who had the initial vision of a multi-venue festival of Jazz and other underground Black Music in the heart of Durham, aimed at the student population and yokels young and old alike.  
But first a detour to the fabulous Miners Hall, hidden away in Durham, yards away from where I grew up and yards away, in the opposite direction, from a former home of a certain Lord and Lady; so good stock.
I'm not a big Big Band man but anybody who’s seen the Durham Uni Big Band knows they're one of the hottest around with a cabinet full of awards. I knew I would have to cut it short and Eleanor Rigby (mercifully not something from Dr Pepper or something or other fizzy, soft and sickly) seemed an appropriate time to head to the hub. 
Essex girl via Durham Uni DJ WZK was doing some amazing, seamless mixing. I remember when DJs were making tentative steps towards this and it's moved on enormously. 
Next a pop-up Early Bird Band featuring FDT and Lawrence Brothers Dan and Ben. Older brother Dan got the call at lunchtime and winged his way from Manchester with a final exam on Monday, and it's acts of heroism like this that make small festivals so special and Heather and Carlo were suitably impressed and grateful. A drummer proved problematic but five minutes ahead, there was a choice of three, and a young man from Gateshead, a regular of the Globe, fit like a glove (I was notebook-less throughout the weekend so please feel free to furnish any names).
It was billed as a jam but only Early Jambone Bird James Metcalf stepped up to play trumpet on a few. The set was fairly straightforward stuff and these future stars can do this in their sleep, but it gave them a chance to show off their chops, Francis playing seated with a much cleaner sound than his general preference nowadays.
Budtet played a customary mix of instrumentals and the ladies splitting vocals, Fiona  fragile and sensitive and Jude assured with lots of oomph and showmanship. They know what they're doing and do it well.
Then me. Never a happy DJ - I do it cos I have to, not cos I want to - I played Jazz, funk, fusion, Latin and soul from the likes of Esperanza Spalding, Return to Forever, Bataan, JBs, Sly and Family Stone, Platinum Hook, Kool and his Gang, Fatback Band, Gilberto Gil, Roy Ayers and Flowers, but didn't have time to go further into soul for my lot, or do some West Coast Get Down for the Early Birds, or any reggae or Afro-Beat, which I think have a place at a festival of this type.
Over to the Empty Shop for another jam session and this is about to get embarrassing, but he probably played more across the festival than anybody else.  Tonight he found himself paired with an amazing alto player from Surrey via Durham Uni who took it to the next level, Francis with nothing more than his Gibson and an amp finding sounds from the next planet, together making music which could be from the next century. Imagine what might have happened if Hendrix had played with Bird.
DJ Mattu played a brief set including Thundercat and some Hip Hop but taking DJing to a level of creativity and performance art towards a whole new field of music. 
I love festivals where you have to make choices - like Lance missing Alphonse Mouzon to watch Dizzy - and I missed Group Theory and Redemption Jazz at Empty Shop, and Lindsay Hannon and Bradley Johnson at the Barber of Neville, but Sunday would present the trickiest choice of the festival. 
Steve T.

2 comments :

Russell said...

Another nice review Steve. I'm guessing the drummer from the Globe was Matthew Fairhurst, and the amazing alto player was Zach Fox (he is very good, 1st alto with DUBB).

Steve T said...

Just been going through my stuff and was reminded I played a Pharaoh Sanders track. I wanted to draw attention to this because some people think you can't play Real Jazz as a DJ.
First time I heard Miles from the album Milestones was at a nightclub in Stockton. I've heard Mr PC, Art Blakey and there'll be others someone with a better memory than me could summon.

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