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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

17755 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 76 of them this year alone and, so far, 1 this month (Feb.1).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Old Lowlight, Clifford’s Fort, North Shields NE30 1JE. 7:00pm. £15.00. + bf. www.oldlowlight.co.uk. SOLD OUT!
Fri 07: Stuart Turner Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Jazz, blues, Americana etc.
Fri 07: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 07: Rose Room @ Wylam Institute. 8:00pm. £19.67.
Fri 07: John Rowland Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 08: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’.
Sat 08: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra event. All welcome.

Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
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: 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.

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

Sunday, June 04, 2017

Notes from day one of the Durham City Jazz Festival. June 2.

(Review by Steve T)
I returned home in the early hours after Friday night wanting to write my review while I was still buzzing but, with a DJ set to prepare and an early start the next day... I find, writing this on Sunday morning, I'm still buzzing.
This is a multi-venue event across the city with the focus on an outdoor area at Fowlers Yard and the Empty Shop Just across the river. The Empty Shop already has the coolest regular jazz night in the region and will have made many new friends this weekend, with its eternally friendly welcome from festival co-creator Carlo and his eternally patient partner Ali.
Three bands at the Empty Shop meant I didn't get to the Old Cinema Laundrette for what I believe was their first foray into Jazz with Mick Shoulders Swing Manouche, but people began trickling down with reports of a sell-out and a triumph, some who hadn't heard Lord Edis before, some not realising he was the clarinettist. He returns to the Festival tonight (Sunday) with Triptych.
Three trios at the Empty Shop on Friday, first up Senza Frame with a Durham Uni connection and I wasn't sure at first how up my street it would be, but I quickly came around to their futuristic grooves from drums, some impressive 'proper' piano playing and a third playing mostly electronic sounds and occasional sax.
Toon band Taupe next and the type of free-blowing soundscapes Jazz North East put on at the Bridge in Newcastle and these were up with the best of them.
With everything that's going on in the North East, and Durham doing better than most, it feels like we're on the cusp of something great with Faye MacCalman and Archipelago surely at the forefront. Fresh from her tour with the Unthanks, they were more rhythmic and melodic than I'd expected. I always try to buy albums from up and coming bands but I'd have bought there's anyway and have fast-tracked it to the top of the ever-growing heap.
Festivals are often as good as their jam sessions and this was a blinder. With the absence of a bass, up-stepped trooper John Pope from Archipelago to give it some order, a solid backbone and some sterling soloing. Faye and the saxophonist from Taupe briefly made up a three sax section but their places were gradually taken by ordinary punters. By definition these feature musicians of mixed abilities and it fell to precocious teenage guitarist to take control with one of those solos which should have been too long but you wanted  it to go on and on. Pope favourite Spain brought a memorable night to a close.
If we can get this on quickly enough, please try to get to Fowlers Yard this evening (Sunday) for the Steve Glendenning Quartet featuring the extraordinary vibraphonist Chris Jelly. Then face the choice between brilliant multi-saxophonist Sue Ferris, with another teenage whiz-kid Matthew MacKellar depping on drums, or a two minute walk to the Empty Shop for our very own Duke Ellington, Lord Paul and a trio Triptych.
Steve T.

2 comments :

Russell said...

Great review Steve!

Steve T said...

Sorry you couldn't make it. Trust you are well.

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