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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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, July 30, 2017

LP Review: Dave Gold Big Band - Heaven on Their Minds

(Review by Lance).
Recorded for a BBC Radio 2 Jazz Club broadcast that was aired on August 11, 1974, this limited edition vinyl release features, major British jazz soloists such as Ronnie Ross, Chris Pyne and Dankworth drummer, Harold Fisher alongside some A-list session men of the time.
MD Gold, son of the legendary Harry Gold (of Pieces of Eight fame), arranged all four tracks and composed two of them. He retains many of the big band conventions whilst incorporating the funk/rock rhythms that were becoming so much a part of the jazz scene at the time and which, indeed, have stayed with us in one form or another ever since. To draw a parallel, the Woody Herman Band on their Light my Fire album were working the same side of the street.
Nostalgia Ain't What it Used to be, cleverly mixes the past with the present (1974). Ross' baritone on the head could almost have been played by Gold's dad although Harry's solo wouldn't have been in the same timescale as Ronnie's. Girvan's guitar may have upset the purists at the time but, in retrospect, it was just right.
Just right, in fact, summarises this whole LP. Derek Gutteridge's flute's a revelation - listen to Jimmy Webb's Pocketful of Keys. Fisher's an ace kit man throughout.
Lloyd Webber may not have intended for Heaven on Their Minds, the title track, to be a swinger when he wrote Jesus Christ Superstar. In fact, he may well have deleted Superstar and replaced it with an exclamation mark when he heard this version!
O'Connell Street, the first original (Nostalgia being the second), has a jaunty Dublin feel about it as well as a funky raunchiness that fits the era nicely.
Apart from the music, it feels good to lovingly caress a solid vinyl disc in a sleeve built to last and with a sound that filled every nook and cranny when I came to play it.
Who says that Nostalgia Ain't What it Used to be? It sure is!
The Dave Gold Big Band - Heaven on Their Mind is available on pre-order limited edition vinyl [500 copies] or digital download from My Only Desire Records.
Release date: August 25, 2017.
Lance.
Dave Gold (MD); John Huchridge, Mike Davis, Terry Noonan, Don Morgan (trumpets); Roy Huchridge, Pete Smith, Chris Pyne, Maurice Pratt (trombones); Dennis Walton, Ronnie Machie (alto); Brian Ashe (tenor/flute); Derek Gutteridge (flute); Ronnie Ross (baritone); Cliff Hall (elec. piano); John Girvan (guitar); Les Hurdle (bass guitar); Harold Fisher (drums). - 1974.

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