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Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17873 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 194 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (March 14).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED PERMANENTLY!
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Nicknames.
Thu 20: Terri Green Experience @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.90.
Thu 20: King Bees @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb blues band.
Thu 20: Lindsay Hannon Trio @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Hannon’s ‘Tom Waits for No Man’ set.
Thu 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Giles Strong Quartet @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 21: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Featuring special guest Martin Litton (piano).

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Swamp Stomp String Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Sat 22: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: The Great Deceivers @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Tom Atkinson & co play King Crimson (1969-1974). Atkinson (guitar); Josh Bentham (alto sax); Stu Dawson (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums).

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: Fred Wesley & the New JB’s @ The Cluny. 7:30pm (doors). £27.50. POSTPONED! New date Wednesday 26 November.

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.

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 15, 2017

Matthew's Farewell Jazz Party @ the Jazz Café (Upstairs & Downstairs) - July 13

(Further thoughts by Steve T)
The day began a little earlier for me, the ongoing search for an amp FDT is wholly happy with and arrangements for a first and last-minute run through for a band who've never played together. In fact, Michael and Joel have never played with each other at all and it continues to amaze me that Jazz musicians, even so young, can do this.
Ben Lawrence has been exploring the possibilities of the classic Fender Rhodes sound, which is exciting for a self-confessed piano trio philistine like me, reared on seventies Jazz-funk when it was so prevalent but, here restricted to the downstairs upright acoustic piano, he gave for me the best performance yet of this combo to watch, his original standing up with a classic and a current big-name American.
Early Birds are reliably great these days, Dr Phil, another keyboardist improving in leaps and bounds on his way to Leeds, the band retaining the Jazz-funk of Herbie Hancock, or is my mind playing tricks on me and it was actually Zawinul via Cannonball Mercy Mercy Mercy, another perennial. The uncertainty of memory!
I've only come across John Wilson once before, when FDT had a lesson about a year ago, and he proved an entirely different and original stylist, perhaps because his background isn't necessarily jazz, and I enjoyed it very much. I for one never doubted Matthew would know his way around a guitar.
The amp problem resolved by the kind offer of a loan from Early Bird guitarist Matthew Downey, it was only as we made our way upstairs I realised the anticipation of the first of three gigs in the North East this summer by Francis under his own name - (shameless plug). I always like to hear guitarists rock it up, one of many ongoing discussion (arguing) points, and tastefully giving a hint of Hendrix to standards is irresistible. A year in the smoke hasn't done Michael any harm either: far more intense and into it than I remember. As Simon Cowell (or some such twit, twet, twot, twut would say) it just got serious.
Who else could follow it but his lordship but by now the downstairs caff was heaving, bouncing, chocker, meaning only those in the posh seats could really get the whole thing, when it dawned on me it would all end in less than a couple of hours.
Mathew’s dad, who'd arranged a night we'll remember forever, thanked some of the major players behind Matthew’s meteoric, overnight rise to become the pre-eminent young Jazz drummer in the region, which as always actually took years of practice, dedication and hard work, but nobody, apart from Matthew himself, has done more to get him there than his dad George. As his voice faltered, he took us all with him.
I only caught a part of the Weisser set and it was welcome to see a stage full of musicians, and ladies for the first and only time, but good seats for the jam were at a premium.
The riddle was who would make up the house-band; the Pope never stays on the sidelines for long, Ben Lawrence resumed the piano stool for his third band of the evening. A shame brother Dan didn't get to play but when you're spread across Manchester, Penrith and Durham, it wasn't clear whether he’d make it at all. Anybody know a drummer?
Early Bird trooper James Metcalf did sterling work holding the melody until Weisser (pictured) arrived, Bird like, muted cornet already playing before slightly rusty FDT, with Downey holding down the guitar chair, gave a short, rare public (or private) burst on trumpet.
Next time somebody leaves for Berklee, let's make it a festival.
Steve T.

1 comment :

Russell said...

You're right Steve, MacKellar Senior did Matthew proud. A Berklee festival is a great idea. So, who else has got their sights set on Boston, USA?

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