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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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 16: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Mia Webb & Roy Willis @ New Ship Inn, Cleadon – July 14













Mia Webb (vocals); Roy Willis (guitar); Colin Aitchison (muted trumpet, vocals); Franco Valussi (clarinet); Neville Sarony (vocals)
(Review by Ann Alex)
I’d finally made it to this gig which takes place quite near to my home in South Shields and I wasn’t disappointed. And there was the added bonus of meeting Lance’s friend Colin, over from Hong Kong, who is a BSH legend. Ms Webb is a very talented and experienced vocalist, Roy Willis was superb on guitar, then there was the added pleasure of a smooth, liquid clarinet, Colin’s rich, lively trumpet and also a song or two from Neville Sarony, (also visiting from the Orient) who has a fine tenor voice. I was a bit puzzled by the use of a backing tape of piano bass and drums, which the band could well do without, as they have enough skill without any assistance, but the tape didn’t detract too much from the enjoyment.

I entered the bar to improvisation on St Louis Blues from trumpet, clarinet and guitar, then came Undecided, which they said they were undecided about playing. Up steps our lady singer with a smoothly sung Satin Doll and clarinet and trumpet in harmony, followed by the instruments only on Basin Street Blues. I spotted two future jazz fans standing in the corner looking quite interested, two small girls in football strips, in honour of young Bradley whose death has been in the news this week.
 Mia continued with a string of jazz standards, Better Than Anything; Where Do You Start?; East Of The Sun; Devil May Care; One Note Samba (thank you, Mia, a favourite of mine because of the clever lyrics); Peel Me A Grape; Mambo Italiano (rarely heard in jazz, at least not by me). Then the band only for In A Mellotone (with call and response trumpet and clarinet).
Up steps Neville to tell us about Georgia (has she moved to Hong Kong to be his girlfriend?) followed by his version of Deed I Do. Mia took the stage again to tell us to Straighten Up And Fly Right (with a long guitar solo and lots of encouragement from our singer); then came It Don’t Mean A Thing, plus the verse, and lots of the ‘doo wah’ from trumpet; another Georgia, Sweet Georgia Brown; Alright, Okay, You Win (the audience helping out with the repetitions). Another of my favourites next, Hard Hearted Hannah. I remember first hearing this song when I was a child of 10, and I loved the reference to Hannah ‘pouring water on a drowning man’. Cruel Child. Finally, a relatively modern song, Watch What Happens, with trumpet and clarinet in lovely harmony.
As I said, a very enjoyable evening.
Ann Alex. 

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