Total Pageviews

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

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.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: The Jazz Music of Quincy Jones.
Thu 06: BBC Big Band @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. £32.00., £25.00., £16.00. ‘The Sound of Cinema’ featuring Emer McPartland (vocals).
Thu 06: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 06: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Guests: Dan Johnson (sax); Josh Bentham (sax); Gary Hadfield (keys); Adrian Beadnell (bass). A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

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. Rescheduled from Friday 7th February.
Fri 07: Jake Leg Jug Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.

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

Wednesday, July 05, 2017

Kaz Hawkins @ Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival - July 1

How do you follow St Lucian Energy, and old style Swing? 
Allow me to introduce you to
ORIGINAL HIGH CELTIC ENERGY
UNDILUTED, RAW, POWERFUL, 
SO REAL & FOLLOWS NO BEAT
OTHER THAN HER OWN 
Miss KAZ HAWKINS
who grabs you into her heart
enveloping you with life songs
her saviour into which she pours
her life’s highs and lows
we all know these points
but it takes a brave soul
to tell them in song
and she does it 
no less than the great
writers Spirits in this world
A survivor who sings out her Praise
and Glory and Love for Her Family .

 I am a poet/lyricist myself and I recognise
in this lady a fine poet/lyricist
and singer, well her voice
reminds me of a reflection
of God...it is from this point,
this chord where her voice evolves.

Her Bigness in Body, Soul, Spirit & Voice
Fills this Field of Dreams
Campers Catching her Essence
and holding her words to their Hearts

BABY I'M BAD, BUT BABY I LOVE YOU
DRINK WITH THE DEVIL
IS ABOUT BOYFRIEND NO 45
“I used to get around” she laughs
and the audience laughs with her.

She's Pure Rock & Roll .
I ****....ing Love Her..
I am sat on the grass 
right in front of her
absorbing her undiluted Presence
& Louis Armstrong 
is like here singing
the blues through her.
The Real Deal
is what I feel
100% Proof
fills all the dots and T's
brill off and on stage
big hugs I had from her
before she went on
I did my homework 
the day before
as I was cleaning
in kitchen & utility
knew here was a soul sister
I called her by name
early Saturday in the field
she turned smiled and held out
her arms and mine joined hers
two Celtic Girls Hugging.
The Energy I felt
is what she is on stage
as Big as Niagara Falls.

I am introduced to Yanny her great bass player
who emits the same full of life spirit on stage 
Dr Nick lead guitar, who has charm, wit
and plays round and round the helter skelter
of tight circles of music..wheee wheee

“ SENSATIONAL  COMPLETE GUITARIST”
Adds MR TOFFEE JOSEPH.... from St Lucia Brilliant Guitarist 

“What else can I do except agree.. when one master is appraising another,
you agree, especially when you know it to be true....he reminds us both of
a legend...and Toffee reminds me of a legend also...you couldn't make
this review up..'
Etta James is her idol...as a little girl a pianist told her to listen to her
and in Etta she found a sister who sang..
In Her Rendition of I Just Wanna Make Love To You.
Bass is pure gets you in the core.
Peto on drums gets hotter and hotter like a sports car revving
and firing on all cylinders on Brands Hatch swinging his arms
like leaves blowing hard in the wind..he is a Ferrari
Yanny is a Count Basie on Bass.

The ending of this song is Spectacular ..
pause..guitar chord...then
Nick does a solo...then
Orgasmic Atmosphere....
Wow!!! 

I AM IS HERE
IN THIS PRESENCE
OF HEART & LIFE SONG

Peto, Jan & Nick are Warriors of Music
who stand guard in every way to 
support this Lady Kaz.
I am crying now writing this,
after confirming to myself what my spirit knew
as I relate to her background
but I didn't know this until I read her
back story in last five minutes with her
FANTASTIC ALBUM 
DON'T YOU KNOW  playing.

I am so honoured to have 
met, held, encouraged her
in our kindred spirit chat
even tho we never mentioned a word.
GOD BLESS YOU KAZ 

DON'T YOU GIVE UP GIRL...


Annie O' Donnell    4th July 2017

No comments :

Blog Archive