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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 12 noon-2:00pm (two sets). £12.00. admission (card or cash at the door). Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums). Note change of venue, no longer at Mrs M’s as advertised, the concert will be in the Old Library (Bishop Auckland Jazz’s regular venue). Important! It’s a ‘BYOB’ arrangement - ie bring your own booze (and/or tea, coffee, soft drinks).
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:00pm. ‘Klezmer, Gypsy Jazz, Balkan & More!’.
Fri 31: Nothing in Rambling @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £10.00. + bf. Country blues duo.
Fri 31 Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Wylam Institute. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. + £1.50. bf.
Fri 31: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £10.00 + bf. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.
Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00 Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 31: SwanNek + Rivkala @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. SwanNek’s new single launch gig. Pilgrim, formerly Hoochie Coochie.

February 2025

Sat 01: Alan Barnes & John Hallam with the Tom Kincaid Trio @ 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 - Cy Coleman’s Witchcraft. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 01: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 01: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Western swing etc.

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, September 15, 2017

Perpetual Motion Machine + A.S.B.O @ The Bridge Hotel – September 10.


 PMM: Riley Stone-Lonergan & Ben Lowman (saxes); Sam Dunn & Jamie Taylor (guitars); Garry Jackson (bass); Steve Hanley (drums)
A.S.B.O: Adam Sinclair (drums); Ian ‘Dodge’ Paterson (bass); Paul Edis (Moog Bass Synth) + Graham Hardy (trumpet)
 (Review by Steve H/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew).
After the heady experience of Spirit Farm the previous week it was no surprise that there was standing room only for Jazz North East’s latest offering - last Sunday night’s eclectic double bill at The Bridge.
Perpetual Motion Machine hail from Manchester and have an interesting line up which includes 2 saxes and 2 guitars. Their set comprised of a number of styles: - jazz funk, jazz rock, cinematic jazz and, for the final piece, spoken word. There was some interesting interplay between the dual guitars and saxes which kept one’s attention throughout. I imagine that would they be better heard in a livelier, stand up, venue since the music certainly had a dancy feel to it.

Earlier in the evening we saw the debut of a new band  - A.S.B.O - which is the latest project from drummer Adam Sinclair. With Paul Edis on moog synthesiser the band set out to lay down a bit of 60’s style funk. However, although rooted in this period, one piece was inspired by the indicator sequence of a current Ford Mondeo. Being familiar with the fine work of the various members of the band maybe my expectations were a little too high since I didn’t think the whole thing really worked. Maybe it will take a few more outings for them to really iron out their true groove. 
Steve H.

3 comments :

Unknown said...

Thanks for the positive comments Steve H, I was invited to try something new and so I did, I'm sorry you didn't like it. Perhaps the fact "60s funk grooves" was your nearest reference point suggest you were never going to like it.
I'll be posting some footage online so people can make up their own minds.

Each to their own!

Adam

Anonymous said...

I'd buy an album of it, and this is coming from a millenial that streams everything and never pays for recorded music. Really not sure where the 60s funk statement came from but the two youngest and coolest cats there thought the grooves were next level, and the bass duo was a really interesting setup. Also where's the shoutout to Graham Hardy?!

Steve T said...

I'm so disappointed I missed this gig but work gets in the way of life. Francis(I get into bother for FDT or no 1 son)tried to get there but wasn't up for it on his own.
Millenials are like every generation in thinking they invented everything (as opposed to Beatleboomers who did). Funk was born out of James Brown and Sly Stone in the late sixties (although there are earlier references in Jazz, blues and Black Literature) but peaked in the early seventies with P Funk and the next generation of bands taking things to a gloriously insane conclusion in the late seventies.
Of course it continues but everything, including hip hop, had been done by the end of that decade.

A word for Steve H; wherever he goes, whenever he goes, he's always the coolest person there. He's the next level to the rest of us.

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