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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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

Monday, July 03, 2017

George Benson @ Scarborough Open Air Theatre - July 1.












(Review by Steve T)
For years I've longed for someone worth the effort to play this open air theatre. I'd always thought, if anybody, it would be Santana, but when Benson was announced, it was that expression number one wife hates, a no brainer.
It doesn't feel like a six thousand capacity venue and there were plenty of empty seats but far more occupied. As at Sage Gateshead last year, there was a mix of those who think he arrived with the Breezin’ album and those who think it began with his collaboration with Quincy Jones et al, just four years later. The difference was at the Sage it was a 90/10 split, while here it was more 990/10.
A bold finger up then to open with Affirmation from Breezin’ but a joy for me, having all but missed it at the Sage trying unsuccessfully to obtain a decent photo for my review.
Once the crowd realised it wasn't one of the sing-alongs, they reverted to their conversations, imbibing, eating, trips to the loos, the bar etc. 'I don't get the guitar solos', a neighbour said to me. 'One of the greatest of all time' I offered, but he didn't seem convinced. 
A few hits: Love X Love, In your Eyes and Turn your Love Around before the crowd lost interest again during Mambo Inn until he started singing half way through.
Breezin’ was the high point but even this was met with indifference, despite its inclusion on every compilation/ best of/ greatest hits package. Written by Bobby Womack, for a few short minutes I was there.
He introduced the newest member of the band, a lady doing some serious stuff on percussion and adding some proper backing vocals. She joined him for a duet he described as one of those old standards which turned out to be Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway Where is the Love - how times have changed - a song ideally suited to his voice.
Love Ballad, an LTD original, was the hit from the album prior to Give me the Night but people still seemed to know it and it was a welcome addition not featured at the Sage. Unsurprisingly, Give me the Night brought the park down.
With half an hour to go,

I couldn't think what else he had to play beyond Greatest Love of All. I'd forgotten Never Give up on a Good thing, or more likely conflated it with Turn your Love  Around, and forgotten This Masquerade, possibly because he hadn't played it at the Sage, so another welcome addition. Inexplicably I'd forgotten On Broadway and we were mercifully spared Greatest Love, which must have been a real blow for the majority, though most seemed like they'd had the night of their lives.
Until he goes back to Jazz and includes stuff like Take Five (his live version my favourite version); as long as Breezin’ continues as his starting point - at the time the biggest selling Jazz album in the world - how times have changed - whether he's doing Jazz-funk, soul, disco, pop or MOR, he's a class act.
Steve T.
Note: George Benson's concert at Ronnie Scott's tomorrow night (July 4) is streamed live at 10:15 UK time.

2 comments :

Russell said...

Steve, if the shows weren't sold out (tickets ranging from £300 to £375 were offered to, and snapped up by, members of Ronnie Scott's at the discounted price range of £240 to £300) you could hear the man tomorrow night in a proper jazz club! A bargain!

Steve T said...

Many argue Ronnie's is no longer a proper Jazz club and it's certainly something of a tourist attraction. I believe he just does the same stuff at Jazz Festivals so I'd rather see him in my favourite British holiday resort.

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