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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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

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, August 04, 2017

Secret Voice of Hollywood (Nixon dubs Nixon dubbing Hepburn!)

Back in the day when lavish Hollywood musicals filled the screens of cinemas worldwide and, of course, the box office, the producers and casting directors were faced with a problem. How do you cast a megastar, a guaranteed money spinner, in a musical when the star can't sing? No problem with Doris Day, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Jane Powell or Julie Andrews - they could sing and they could act. Deborah Kerr couldn't sing but she could act the pants off most of her peers. Likewise Audrey Hepburn.
Enter Marni Nixon.
Marni, who died last year aged 86, provided Kerr's singing voice in The King and I and Hepburn's voice in My Fair Lady. In West Side Story she ghosted Natalie Wood's voice without Natalie knowing the voice wasn't her own!
The practice eventually disappeared along with the blockbuster musical and when one did come along the actors did their own singing. After watching the most recent of these, La La Land, rumour has it that a member of the audience said: "Where is Marni Nixon when you need her?" Actually, it wasn't a rumour - it was me!
At this year's Edinburgh Fringe, Marni Nixon is brought back to life by Sam Nixon (pictured, no relation) and Gin Palace Productions. The scenario is the recording studio as Marni prepares to dub Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady whilst talking about some of the other stars she has dubbed.
Having seen clips of a Julie Andrews/Sound of Music show by the company I'm sure that they and Sam Nixon will do "The Greatest Singer You've Never Heard of" justice.
The 1-hour show had its Edinburgh premiere today at Greenside, 6 Infirmary St., Edinburgh EH1 1LT. (venue no. 236).
Forthcoming shows: August 5-6 & 8-12 All at 12:35pm.
Tickets.
Lance.
PS: I know it's not jazz - Edinburgh has its own Jazz & Blues Festival but, to me, there's always a jazzy feel about Fringe events!
at

2 comments :

LIz said...

Thanks Lance, I go to see it on Wed 9th, looking forward to it!

Saturday, August 05, 2017 9:33:00 am
Samantha Nixon said...

"We are here to tell the story of Marni, but we were attracted to write the show through the music. The 50's were a golden age for Hollywood and I'm certain that any music fans thinking of coming to see us would get a lot out of hearing us perform from the selection we have chosen".

Sunday, August 06, 2017 9:51:00 pm

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