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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Linskill Centre, North Shields. 4:00-10:30pm. Free, but ticketed (over 18s only). A multi-bill, multi-genre ‘Canny Shiels - North Shields 800’ event. Three Kings Brewery on site.
Sat 28: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 29: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 29: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 3:00pm. Ray McVay & co.
Sun 29: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 29: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 29: Zoë Gilby w. Ryton Choral Society @ Corbridge Middle School NE45 5HX. 5:30pm. £15.00. Gilby w jazz trio & choir. ‘An evening of jazz song for choir’.
Sun 29: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 29: John Wilson & the Sinfonia of London @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Greatest Hits’.
Sun 29: Out Front @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

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, September 16, 2017

CD Review: The Brass Funkeys - Rabble Rouser.

Rob Smith, Matt Letts (trumpets); Tom Green, Vij Prakash (trombones); Dave Robinson (tenor); Rob Slater/John Caddick (sousaphones); Scott Jowett (drums); Chris Brice (percussion) + Jack Banjo Courtney (trumpet on 1 track); Chris Saunders (trombone on 2 tracks).
(Review by Lance).
The jazz brass band marching tradition may have begun in New Orleans at the turn of the last century but it has long since spread far beyond its Louisiana roots. In the northeast of England, the Northern Monkey Brass Band, nee Horndogs, have long been firm favourites. Moving further south, the New York Brass Band are familiar figures in and about Old York whilst, even further south again, London has the Brass Funkeys heard here on this, their second album.
The Funkeys have been around since 2011 during which time they have performed at Glastonbury, North Sea Jazz Festival, Bestival and very many other prestigious events both at home and abroad. Indeed their forthcoming tour includes a gig at Newcastle's Bar Loco on November 18.
The opening number, Goblins, is a composition by and featuring the strangely named [for a trumpet player] Jack Banjo Courtney. Courtney, whose fiery style has impressed at the Jazz Café jam sessions, is equally impressive here even though he only plays on this one track.
Pacha Mama: 'a visceral ode to mother nature's wrath' has Robinson let off the leash whilst David Battenberg's Life of Cakes is the soundtrack to a man stuffing himself full of baked goods in the middle of the rainforest. Slater blows the catchy sousa riffs on this one - perhaps Caddick was dining in the rainforest. Nice trumpet and trombone (Smith and Prakash?)
Dirty Harry sees Robinson blowing gutsy tenor over a Ska/Reggae rhythm with some band chanting to add to the mix. Asiro, another trombone/trumpet workout.
Thirteen tracks in all and not a dud in the box! There's no indication as to the horn soloists suffice to say they do the business and do it good.
Rabble Rouser? I'll say!
Lance.
Available Monday, September 18.

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