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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

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. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

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: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
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: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Jazz Café October, 2017, Press Release.

Andersson / Pringle / Banner /Pereira 7th October and Michael Messer’s Mitra at The Jazz Cafe 27th October 2017
The 7th October visit to The Jazz Cafe of Andersson / Pringle / Banner / Pereira marks the third appearance at the venue by the group’s pianist Mark Pringle. He first appeared in September 2015 with his critically acclaimed Moveable Feast Trio (The Independent described Mark at this time as “stupendously talented”) and returned in 2017 in a stunningly good duo with trumpeter Tom Syson.
Between times, on the prestigious European Jazz Masters Programme, Mark has been completing a Masters degree in Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Berlin, opening himself respectively in those cities to free improv, world music rhythms and in Berlin, where he lives, to a mix of everything musical. And - at the same time - connecting with musicians from all over Europe and beyond.
This new quartet brings together three of his favourite musicians to explore their shared and contrasting influences, each musician contributing compositions to the mix. Expect simple melodies, driving swing and influences ranging from Scandinavian folk music, to American drummer and percussionist Paul Motian and the 20th-century Hungarian composer Bela Bartok to name only a few.
Mark’s collaborators in the band are Tobias Andersson, guitar from Sweden, who he describes as “a really lyrical and mature player with a strong emphasis on sound and space,” João Lopes Pereira, drums from Portugal, described by Mark as having “a special touch and natural feeling for swing” and as being “incomparable....in the young European generation” and James Banner, double bass, Mark’s oldest musical associate, another inhabitant of the Berlin creative music scenes and a member of the 2015 Moveable Feast Trio.
Michael Messer, slide guitarist, singer and blues and roots innovator has been touring and recording successfully for over 30 years, receiving a string of awards and in 2008 launching Michael Messer Resonator Guitars.

But in 2013, with the birth of Mitra (Jazz Cafe 27th October, a co-promotion with Gem Arts), he entered an exciting new musical chapter as did his collaborators Manish Pingle (pronounced ‘Pinglay’) on Indian slide guitar (mohan veena) and Gurdain Rayatt (tabla). Michael continues to sing and to play slide and lap steel guitar.

Mitra (pronounced ‘meetra’), meaning friends, is a unique fusion of Mississippi delta and hill country blues and Hindustani classical music. Neither Gurdain, regarded as one of the greatest tabla players of his generation outside India, nor Mumbai - based Manish, one of the new rising stars of Indian slide guitar, had previously heard Michael’s style of blues yet the combination of their styles was immediate and totally natural.

Meetra’s first CD, Call of the Blues, released in February 2016 hit #1 in the iTunes Blues Chart and was nominated in the “Best Band” category in the Songlines 2017 Music Awards.                                                                                                                  
This is more than another meeting of musicians from different cultures, this is a band with its own unique and highly accessible sound, creating a fascinating musical journey, running from the banks of the Mississippi, via London to Mumbai and the Ganges delta. 
Venue: The Jazz Cafe, 25 – 27 Pink Lane, Newcastle NE1 5DW.
Box Office : Tuesday to Saturday 0191 222 9882 from noon.
Andersson / Pringle / Banner / Pereira: 9pm (Doors 8.30pm) Sat 7th October.                                                           Michael Messer’s Mitra : 9pm (Doors 8.30pm) Fri 27th October.
Further details from:
Dave Clarke
Jazz Café
clarkedave55@gmail.com

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