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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones - 1975.
Thu 20: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 20: Orange Claw Hammer + Peony @ The Globe, Newcastle.7:30pm. Orange Claw Hammer play Captain Beefheart.
Thu 20: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Featuring special guest Zoë Gilby.

Fri 21: JazzMain @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. TBC.
Fri 21: Emma Rawicz w. Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Mississippi MacDonald @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Blues.
Sat 22: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm. £16.50. SOLD OUT!
Sat 22: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

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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