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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

Wednesday, August 09, 2017

Jazz Co-op Workshop @ The Globe: August 5/6

Tutors: Jilly Jarman and Jim Birkett
(Report by Ann Alex)
This is an account of what 22, or so, of us got up to at this very enjoyable and informative event. As Jim said, music is PLAYED so it should be done for enjoyment, which was what we had. We began with a plenary session of practising rhythms and pitches, singing notes 1, 3, and 5 of the scale, and clapping rhythms with eyes closed. DO try this at home and you’ll find out how difficult it is for everyone to clap correctly at the same time. Much laughter. We then became 2 groups, more advanced people upstairs with Jim doing goodness knows what heavy theory and 4 vocalists downstairs with Jilly and 2 keyboards, 4 saxes, drums and also some of the instrumentalists singing. A very unusual jazz combo indeed, and Jilly on bass guitar and keyboard.
We sang Ole Baby with call and response, lower and higher parts for voices and saxes, Recorda-Me (Joe Henderson), and the ballad You Don’t Know What Love Is. We’ll be eternally grateful for that last beautiful song as an addition to our repertoires. I thought that it was worth coming to the course for that song alone.

In the afternoon session, Jilly produced a penny whistle, all the better to let us hear the strong pure notes of Coltrane’s Equinox, another joy of a tune, and provide a useful exercise in learning both tune and lyrics by ear. Plenty to practise overnight!

On Sunday morning Jim treated us to some quite complex theory. It pays singers to know something of what instruments are doing with chords and you never stop learning about this. (I’m tempted at this point to tell the old joke about the difference between a rock musician and a jazz musician. You can email me if you haven’t heard it). We had fun practising all our songs, then realised that we had to perform for the other group, so we did a wild and free version of Ole Baby and sang a rendering of You Don’t Know What Love Is with a half chorus of solos for each singer, once through for instrumental solos, then a more rhythmic sung rendering. We didn’t do too badly. We then went upstairs to listen to the other band: approximately 2 keyboards, 4 guitars, 3 saxes, clarinet, flute, drums, but no bass. Was there ever a big band like this? They did rather well on Weaver of Dreams and a quirky version of Autumn Leaves, with solos all round.

Then it was time to pack up and go home. I had my usual struggle with my music stand. The Globe should put on a course about putting up and taking down these implements. I’d like to thank all those who made the day work well: the Tutors themselves, Derek for doing the sound as well as playing drums for our group, Sheila for organising the whole workshop which ran seamlessly, Hayley and Ali on the bar. I hope I haven’t missed anyone out.
It was really good - YOU should be there next year!
Ann Alex

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