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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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:15pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall, Stocksfield. 1:30pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm.
Sat 24: Dean Stockdale Quartet + Mingus Sings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums) + Mingus Sings: Sara Oschlag (vocals); Alan Barnes (reeds); Tim Lapthorn (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); Clark Tracey (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sat 24: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 24: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sat 24: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 24: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 25: Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion: Bandstand Sessions @ The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free. A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Spanish City Plaza (outdoor stage). 1:00pm. Free. A Whitley Bay Carnival event.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Catriona Bourne Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Bourne (harp), Francis Tulip (guitar), James Owston (double bass), Joe Bainbridge (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Struggle Buggy @ The Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 25: Joe Steels Group + Norma Winstone (vocals); Nikki Iles (piano); Mike Walker (guitar); Steve Watts (double bass). 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Steels (guitar); Ferg Kilsby (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Susans (double bass); John Hirst (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 25: Xhosa Cole/Neil Charles/Mark Sanders @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A JNE promotion. Note: Xhosa Cole replaces Nicole Mitchell.

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 02, 2017

Chris Sharkey Trio/Paul Edis Jazz Workshop @ Ushaw Jazz Festival 2017 - August 27

Chris Sharkey (guitar), Mick Barden (double bass) & Luke Reddin-Williams (drums) + Paul Edis
(Review by Russell/Photos courtesy of Brian Ebbatson)
Earlier this year Chris Sharkey enjoyed an extended residency at Newcastle’s Jazz Café during which he explored classic material recorded in the ’50s and ’60s focusing on the in-the-moment creative impulse. The Gateshead born guitarist decided to continue with the project and concert performances elsewhere were mooted. An early Sunday afternoon set in the Francis Thompson Room at the Ushaw Jazz Festival attracted a ‘Sunday roast and broadsheet newspaper’ crowd.  
The trio – Sharkey, Mick Barden, double bass, and Luke Reddin-Williams, drums – opened with Stella by Starlight. Expansive improvisation concealed the familiar melody (from some) as Chris Sharkey developed ideas; first this way, then that, bass and drums with him all the way. The set observed convention; retain the melody throughout the extended solo, bass solo, and a round of fours. All Blues, then A Night in Tunisia with Reddin-Williams’ furious drumming taking it out. And that was set one. Three tunes, forty-five minutes. Miles and Trane did it, so too Chris Sharkey.
Second set, All the Things You Are, all fifteen minutes of it, at a lick. Terrific! Chris Sharkey asked festival director Paul Edis if he would like to join the trio. Sharkey: Paul, do you want to start this one off for us? Solos all round on Footprints. Terrific! Half an hour in, time for one final number. A heavily disguised My Funny Valentine. Once again, terrific! 
Photos.
Jazz Workshop with Paul Edis @ Ushaw Jazz Festival 2017 - August 27
Following his spot with the Chris Sharkey Trio, Paul Edis conducted an informal workshop sitting at the piano in the Francis Thompson Room. The participants included a young flautist, a vocalist and a lapsed alto player who fancied having a blow after x number of years. Dr Edis’ students explored the rudiments, singing in key, finding middle C on the keyboard. Elementary standard, perhaps, the  important thing is all students took something from the workshop and left with renewed enthusiasm for jazz and a determination to put in those 10,000 hours of practice.             
Russell

1 comment :

Steve T said...

By Sunday lunchtime it was really down to the diehards to turn up for Chris Sharkey. A shame, for me this was the second best gig of a festival where the guitarists had it, but I would say that wouldn't I. Short of a disaster the previous afternoon, there was really only second place up for grabs.
The two sets were also very different from each other: a trio rather than Tulip’s quartet including piano, acoustic bass instead of pedalled-up bass guitar, and Sharkey, a southpaw, getting more sounds than he should be able to from a Strat against Tulip’s Gibson with a growing range of effects pedals.
A shame the busy, boozy couple of days caught up with Tulip and he couldn't get his lazy a$$ out of bed so had to kick himself for missing a masterclass in cutting edge jazz guitar. Two sets of just three pieces each, including All Blues and Night in Tunisia, with contrast coming from Lord Paul guesting on Shorter’s Footprints, seeming to attempt to perform with every group across the weekend. But it's Jazz so it wasn't so much the 'tunes' as what they did with them. Brilliant.

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