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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

18018 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 339 of them this year alone and, so far, 17 this month (May 7).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Tue 13: ???

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Recital (stage 2): Leah Kirk (voice) @ The Band Room, Music Studios, Assembly Lane, Newcastle University. 3:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 14: Jerron Paxton @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £24.20. Excellent country blues multi-instrumentalist.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. BACK IN BUSINESS, all welcome!

Thu 15: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: The Greatest in Jazz - Guitarists.
Thu 15: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 15: New Ways of Moving in the Counterworlds @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). John Garner & John Pope.

Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Sophie Speed with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ Longframlington Memorial Hall. 7:00pm (doors). Tickets: £12.00. from 01665 570984.
Fri 16: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 16: Peter Donegan & Anthony Donegan @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. ‘Lonnie Donegan - The Stories’.

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson 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

Monday, July 10, 2017

Sotavento Big Band @ The Globe - July 9

Across the road, at the Metro Arena, the American punk rock band Blink 182 had attracted a host of fans, many of whom were having pre-concert drinks at The Globe. On stage at the Jazz Coop HQ, the Argentinian jazz tango group known as the Sotavento Big Band were ready to unleash their unique brand of swing.
The SBB replaces the conventional trombone section with three tenor saxes and the trumpet section with one tenor sax and two clarinets. It sounded strange hearing Basie's Splanky without the brass but by the time Jumping at the Woodside had been and gone our ears were accustomed to it.
Debra Milne, one of the Jazz Coop's guiding lights, joined the band for Lady is a Tramp and Black Coffee. Debra, who has an affinity for Latin music, was in typical voice only marred by the uneven sound balance - a problem that plagued the whole evening - and I was sitting at the front!
The pure jazz was done for this set and the tango took over and with it the dancers.
Tanguera was a delightful mix of tango and jazz with the latter proving quite sensual for the dancers.
Vocalist Patricia Leguizamon stepped up for City Tango, Romance de Barrio and Nada. Lovely voice but, again, the balance didn't do her any favours.
Intermission.

Upstairs there was more tangoing.
Downstairs the second set kicked off with Patricia singing S'Wonderful, Bye Bye Blackbird and Sweet Georgia Brown. There was some twiddling going on at the mixing desk which made for marginal improvement, but only marginal.
Back to the tango and Años de Soledad; La Oportunidad; Lluvia de Estrellas; La Trampera and La Arenosa brought the show to a close except it didn't! The audience demanded and got not one but two encores - Volveras Signoras a San Juan (I think!) and Libertango.
Director and alto saxist Firmenich wailed on alto with lots of bluesy overtones. Sisneros impressed on clarinet and the rhythm section was on fire. There were also tenor solos although I wasn't sure who was who. Patricia I've already mentioned; she looked good and sounded good, at least from the front row!
Despite the sound problems, it was Una noche muy especial!
Photos.
Lance
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Director
Gustavo FIRMENICH

Línea de Saxos
Gustavo FIRMENICH (Saxo Alto)
Andres VELTRI (Saxo Tenor)
Miguel BENSADÓN (Saxo Tenor)

Línea de Trompetas 

Sergio CISNEROS (Clarinete)
Florencia CRNKO (Clarinete)
Horacio BALDASSARRE (Saxo Tenor)

Línea de Trombones
Fernando CASTEL (Saxo Tenor)
Duilio GIRI (Saxo Tenor)
Sergio RISOLI (Saxo Tenor)

Sección Rítmica
Fernando CRESPO (batería) 
Ezequiel ANGELERI (guitarra)
Cristian COR (bajo)
Enrique GALLO CALDERON (piano)

Voz
Patricia LEGUIZAMÓN

1 comment :

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

Excellente, Señor Lance Liddle! And this other Patricia enjoyed this unique mucho especiale noche - with excuses for badly remembered Espanol!

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