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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

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: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
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

Saturday, July 08, 2017

Dean Stockdale & Noel Dennis @ the Jazz Café - July 7














Dean Stockdale (piano); Noel Dennis (trumpet/flugel).
(Review by Lance).
From Russell's review of the latest CD by the Dean Stockdale Trio (previous post) those, if any, who were unfamiliar with the pianist's work will surely have got the message that the man is a formidable player. Take away bass and drums but add the melodic horn playing of Noel Dennis and we have the makings of another sound Jazz Café duo set.
Amazingly, Stockdale hadn't brought any of his CDs to hawk which must surely be a first for any musician playing a gig!
The duo kicked off with Beautiful Love and it soon became apparent that we were in for a treat. A low-key one perhaps but nonetheless a treat.
Dennis switched to flugelhorn for Watch What Happens before returning to trumpet for Nostalgia in Times Square.
It had been awhile since I'd last heard the brass man and, in these early numbers, the Chet Baker/Miles approach seemed to have been replaced by a more individual, more contemporary sound. Stockdale continues to spread the Gospel according to St. Oscar and, like the late great Canadian is not averse to throwing in a stride chorus or three.
More flugel on My Funny Valentine, an uptempo Autumn Leaves, and a swashbuckling Freddie Freeloader brought us to the intermission. Lots of the aforementioned stride piano in the latter piece.
Off again with There Will Never be Another You the Chet Baker influence was now seeping through whilst Miles showed his face on that seasonal tune from Porgy and Bess.
Stockdale had a solo piano feature on Over the Rainbow. After a long and complex intro, it finally modulated into as fine a version as any you're likely to find on either side of the Yellow Brick Road.
Lyrical trumpet on Love For Sale, pure Miles on All Blues then, finally, Now's the Time (to make my way through the fleshpots of Newcastle on a Friday night - somebody's got to do it - and catch the number 27).
It had been an enjoyable evening by two very able musicians. Let's hear them again soon.
Lance.

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

That seasonal tune from 'Porgy and Bess'is a musical version of the elephant in the room, the song we dare not mention when Lance is around. It goes 'da dee da' etc. Ann Alex

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