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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

17822(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 143 of them this year alone and, so far, 68 this month (Feb.25).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ 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. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ Three Sheets to the Wind, Alnwick. 5:15pm or 5:45pm (times tbc). Part of the Alnwick Story Festival's music fringe programme: Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Joseph O’Brien: The Ultimate Tribute to Frank Sinatra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. O’Brien & seven piece band (inc. Wendy Kirkland, Jim Corry & Pat Sprakes).
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 02: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £10.00. Day 3/3.
Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 02: Side Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Derwentwater Road, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Milne Glendinning Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 6:30pm.
Sun 02: Bella by Barlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 02: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Spittal Bowling Club, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Ali Watson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 03: Milne Glendinning Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. Tel: 0191 237 3697. 12:30pm. £8.00. ‘Jazz ‘n’ Pancakes’.
Tue 04: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.
Tue 04: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Paul Skerritt Band @ Jazz Café - June 23

Paul Skerritt (vocal): James Harrison (piano); Anth Ord (bass guitar); Tom Chapman (drums).
(Review by Lance).
Skerritt has acquired a beard since the last time I saw him. He's also just come off his honeymoon so I guess shaving isn't his top priority in the mornings. In celebration of the nuptials, a tray of Rice Crispy based wedding cake was offered around and, it has to be said, it was the best Rice Crispy based wedding cake I've ever tasted bar none. Come to think of it, it's the only Rice Crispy based wedding cake I've ever tasted! It was still delicious - as was the music.
Putting on the Ritz got the party underway and it was quite a party. This band don't do subtle or maybe they do but perhaps it's so subtle only the most keenly attuned ears notice it and you don't get many keenly attuned ears in The Caff on a Friday night.

Georgia on my Mind (I'm never quite sure whether the lyric refers to a woman or the American state) had a semblance of subtlety, particularly in Harrison's fill-ins. They're often amusing but always relevant. He's a showboater but one who can certainly play. His technique and ideas constantly developing from gig to gig.
Hooray For Love, an out and out swinger, kept the feet a tapping and begged the question, "Who's this Curtis Stigers anyway?"
Black & Gold moved into more contemporary waters with an impressive blast from Ord. The two coke [cola] heads, Ord and Chapman were Gibraltar-like in support throughout. 
Misty featured more bass work whilst the opening line to the next number, What a day this has been, what a rare mood I'm in, why it's Almost Like Being in Love summed up the night so far and it was far from over. Harrison at the top of his game, a musical jack in a box, Skerritt, swinging and singing and ring-a-ding-dinging, Ord and Chapman firing on all cylinders - my kind of band.
Gregory Porter's Take me to the Alley took on a more serious note and caused me to reflect that the words could relate to some of the alleys not too far from Pink Lane.
Goody Goody, I'm sure Ann Alex could write about this tit for tat song of gloating. "You gave him your heart too, just as I gave mine to you, and he broke it in little pieces, now how do you do?"
Priceless!
Priceless too was the exchange of fours.
The set finished with a frantic version of Sway which saw a couple, who shall be nameless, tripping the light fantastic. Move over Fred and Ginger, meet George and Mary.
Time for the aforementioned wedding cake and more ale to be purchased.
The trio kicked the second set off with I Wish I Knew How it Felt to be Free before the most surprising number of the evening. Taylor Swift's Shake it Off. Harrison moved over to the upright and displayed his qualifications as a Ragtime Professor. Even Taylor Swift in a white tutu couldn't top this!
American Girl; Daft Punk's Get Lucky; Come Fly With me; Rodgers, Hart and Skerritt's Gentleman [Lady] is a Tramp and Have You Met Miss Jones? brought my evening to a close.
It had been quite an evening.
Lance.

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