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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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 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: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
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: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: 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

Friday, July 14, 2017

Matthew MacKellar’s Farewell Jazz Party @ the Jazz Café - July 13 (Upstairs)

(Review by Russell)
At the conclusion of the opening downstairs’ set (see BSH Editor-in-Chief’s review), fed with crisps and sausage rolls and watered (the bottled variety), your correspondent dashed upstairs to catch a set by the Early Bird Band (BSH Editor-in-Chief’s entourage arrived in the their own time). Dr Edis brought along a liquorice stick and took his place alongside the Earlier Birders as they opened with Four. The regular line-up (more or less) made the gig…James Metcalf (trumpet); Ben Lawrence (trumpet); Matthew Downey (guitar); Phillip Grobe (keyboards), Alex Shipsey (bass) & Dylan Thompson (drums). Matthew Downey featured playing his Gibson on Nature Boy and Blues Walk capped a short, sharp set with the young man of the moment – Matthew MacKellar – replacing the impressive Dylan Thompson for one last blast with the Early Bird Band.

Multi-band events such as Matthew’s jazz party tend to have a pecking order. Whether by accident or design the Francis Tulip Quartet topped the (upstairs) bill. The phrase ‘eagerly anticipated’ was never more appropriate. Three quarters of the band cut their musical teeth playing in Jazz Attack or Jambone or the aforementioned Early Bird Band – Francis Tulip (guitar); Michael Dunlop (bass guitar) & Matthew MacKellar (drums) – and they were joined by Joel Brown (keyboards). Tulip is studying at Birmingham Conservatoire, Dunlop at Guildhall, London, and MacKellar is soon to take Berklee College of Music by storm. Brown is a lower sixth form student. At a guess, the age of the lads - 19, 19, 18 and 16 - could lead some to conclude that they’re ‘promising talents’. Well, if Arts Council types were present (they weren’t) and didn’t know how young they were, the talent spotters would have been throwing money at them right, left and centre, touting them as the ‘next big thing’. This was something special. Guitarist Tulip tore the place apart from the start. Loud(ish), distorted to a degree, technique to burn, if your twenteen this is how you should want to play guitar! Whitley Bay High School pianist Joel Brown is a match for anyone of his age. Coming out of Monk with the certainty that he’ll discover other piano masters, he and Tulip know their stuff. 500 Miles High set a very high standard and the quartet maintained it during an all-too-brief set. I’ll Remember April then a rarely heard TS Monk composition – Green Chimneys – rounded off a terrific set. Bassist Michael Dunlop was most impressive, coming a long way since his studies at Sage Gateshead, ‘secure’ is the word. And the man at the back – Matthew MacKellar – produced an amazing performance. The time, power and invention of the soon to depart MacKellar was something to behold.
 
The Jazz Café was busy, busy, busy. Some didn’t know whether they were coming or going. Barrie Ascroft is a man of few words and as he waited to be called upstairs for Dave Weisser’s set he sat at the piano, playing for himself and anyone who cared to stop and listen. B Ascroft at the upright – now there’s a rarity!

Matthew MacKellar came to the attention of Bebop Spoken Here when sitting-in at Dave Weisser’s Take it to the Bridge workshop. It was, therefore, fitting that the Dave Weisser Combo should close proceedings upstairs. Dave Weisser (cornet & vocals), Ray Johnson (trumpet), Jude Murphy (alto saxophone, flute & vocals), Rachel Richman (alto saxophone), Johannes Dalhuitjsen (tenor saxophone), Roy Stephenson (guitar), Barrie Ascroft (keyboards), Matt Long (bass guitar) & Matthew Fairhurst (drums) + Matthew MacKellar (drums)

A typical Dave Weisser session begins at whenever o’clock and goes on until the musicians in the band shout: Dave! Dave! It’s a quarter past stupid o’clock. Such is Weisser’s enthusiasm that he’ll frequently lose track of time, looking to play the next number in the pad. This farewell party had all the hallmarks of it being another lost in time affair. DW positively encourages all and sundry to take a solo and before you know it, it’s stupid o’clock. From All Blues (Weisser’s incomparable vocals), a Victor Feldman chart, to Tempus Fugit Weisser’s merry band soloed from A to B and back again. Matt Fairhurst graciously stepped aside to allow Matt MacKellar to sign-off with the Dave Wiesser Combo. It was late, but still time to run downstairs to catch the already-in- the-swing jam session.
 
Now then, who’ve we got here? Matthew Downey (guitar), James Metcalf (trumpet), John Pope (double bass), trumpeter-turned pianist Ben Lawrence, Francis Tulip (trumpet)…what? Francis playing trumpet! Dave Weisser joined the knockings, briefly swapping instruments with Metcalf. It was late, it had been a memorable occasion. Finally, Matthew MacKellar, one more time, chose to play All the Things You Are. Someone piped-up: Hip, Hip, Hooray!                     
Russell.

3 comments :

Patti D (on F/b) said...

A fantastic evening - and a great send off to young Matthew! As an aside, I'd just like to add that the only thing missing from the party was a tango dancing demo from Johannes, the tenor sax player from the Dave W Combo. Those who were at the Sotavento Big Band gig at the Globe a few days ago will know what I'm talking about!

Patti D (on F/b) said...

The sausage rolls were yummy too!

ryan said...

yes

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