Total Pageviews

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

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.
Sat 17: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Newcastle City Library. 9:00-10:00pm. Free. A 'Late Shows' event.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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’.

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

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Xmas Jam @ the Jazz Café - December 19

(Review by Lance).
Quite a night! Having been off the scene for a few months, I couldn't have wished for a better gig to write about. Or could I? Come closing time  I'd simply ran out of superlatives. The perfect Christmas party. No mince pies, Santa Claus outfits or carols (although Paul Gowland did throw in a few bars of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen during a blistering exchange of fours). So much happening that to list everything would be pointless. It was all so good.
With Matt MacKellar home for Xmas from Berklee in Boston, Mass, the emphasis was naturally on drums. Matt's final solo of the evening was quite breathtaking. Not that this was the only percussive highlight. Dylan Thompson belied his tender years to indicate that he too is a contender. Tommy Claydon, part of the orchestra in one of the local pantomimes, sat in and proved that he is another outstanding skinman. Then there was Abbie Finn. Abbie would have been justified in saying that any one of the other three played pretty good for a man. The girl was inspired, particularly when driving tenorman Harry Keeble to a great solo on Autumn Leaves. My sources tell me they are an item which must prove something or other. Simply great.

Damian Cook is another pantomime performer and a regular on the local scene every festive season. No 'bah humbugs' when he starts to blow.
Likewise Paul Gowland, veteran of a 1000 JC jams, never fails to hold his own and must surely be an inspiration for fellow altoists Beth Roberts and Alex Thompson who set the early running.
The pace stepped up when Michael Lamb and David Gray added some brass to the front line. The roof was last seen heading towards the coast.
Stu Finden, sans saxophone, took over on bass to give Pope John a well-earned rest, Dave Weisser played cornet and Joel Brown and Philipp Grobe alternated on piano.
Oh yes, I almost forgot, the guitar section!
Steve Glendinning led the house trio and the opening Billie's Bounce was amazing even by his own high standards.  With Pope and Matt completing the trio it was put up or shut up. All three put up.
Bradley Johnston - it seems like only yesterday he was a promising student of James Birkett. Hear him now!
The same could also be said of Francis Tulip who is fast moving into rarified heights. He played a blinder and that's not all.
Tonight, Francis, Joel, Matt and bassist Michael Dunlop are at the Empty Shop in Durham. On Friday they are back at the Jazz Café and on January 9 are at The Fox in Hexham. Details of all these gigs can be found in the previous post by Russell.
Finally, although it was a great night, it was not without a touch of sadness as we were reminded that, on December 29, it will be 5 years since the former Jazz Café Supremo Keith Crombie passed away.
Most of us old enough to remember Keith no doubt shed a silent tear.
He'd have loved what he heard.
RIP.
Photo album.
Lance.
Steve Glendinning (guitar); John Pope (bass); Matthew MacKellar (drums) + Beth Roberts, Alex Thompson, Paul Gowland (alto); Damian Cook, Harry Keeble (tenor); David Gray (trombone); Michael Lamb (trumpet); Dave Weisser (cornet); Joel Brown, Philipp Grobe (piano); Francis Tulip, Bradley Johnston (guitar); Stuart Finden (bass); Dylan Thompson, Tommy Claydon, Abbie Finn (drums).

No comments :

Blog Archive