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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

17719 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 39 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Jan. 15).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Sun 19: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. ‘Glenn Miller & the Rat Pack Era’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 19: Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 19: Nick Ross Orchestra @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Sun 19: Freight Train (Tobin/Noble/Clarvis) @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 19: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s 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

Monday, January 15, 2018

Francis Tulip Quartet @ The Quakerhouse, Darlington - Jan 14

Francis Tulip (guitar), Joel Brown (keyboards), Michael Dunlop (bass) & Matthew MacKellar (drums) + Dan Garel (alto saxophone)
(Review by Russell).
Darlington Jazz Club’s first concert promotion of the year featured a young quartet playing a fourth and final date of a tour across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and here at the Quakerhouse pub in County Durham. The Francis Tulip Quartet was about to go into abeyance as the musicians set off on their travels once again to Birmingham, London, Boston, USA and downtown Whitley Bay.
The Quakerhouse was as full as it gets for this eagerly anticipated appearance by the new kids on the block and the audience wasn’t to be disappointed. Benny Golson’s Stablemates, guitarist Gilad Hekselman’s Purim, a familiar looking setlist, the quartet, with bassist Michael Dunlop travelling up from London to play the gig, was in the groove from the off. And as if it couldn’t get any better, Dan Garel would join the band to play a couple of numbers!
Alto saxophonist Dan, in his final year of study at Durham University, is a stand out musician on the local scene (Group Theory, Durham University Big Band, Empty Shop jam session organiser and a frequent participant at the Jazz Café’s jam session in Newcastle), and his presence made this an ‘I was there’ occasion. And they played two all-time great standards - Body and Soul and Stella by Starlight. If they’d packed up there and then it would have been worth making the trip.

Francis Tulip sustained remarkably mature guitar playing throughout the two sets and another term at Birmingham Conservatoire will, likely as not, produce further wonders. As bandleader, Tulip took responsibility for making the usual announcements, and the quartet closed the first set with all four musicians contributing blazing solos on Caravan segueing into 500 Miles High.

As the second set was about to start pianist Joel Brown and bassist Michael Dunlop were nowhere to be seen. Francis Tulip filled the void playing a few bars of All the Things You Are. Cue applause. As Brown and Dunlop returned to the stand Matt MacKellar counted in Yes or No. Wayne Shorter’s number has featured on all tour dates yielding brilliant individual and group musicianship and here at the Quakerhouse it wasn’t any different. Other bands with more miles on the clock would be only too proud to match this standard. More from New York guitar wiz Gilad Hekselman as Tulip and co played March of the Sad Ones. The lads would appear to like playing the number, and why not?

Black Narcissus produced sensitive playing all round, In Walked Bud took a funk turn with Michael Dunlop’s five-string bass playing confirming a real talent as drummer Matt MacKellar had some fun on an exchange of fours. On his recent flight home from Boston Matt whiled away time transcribing Christian McBride’s Interlude for the band. Time well spent! Some seriously good playing by all four. The Francis Tulip Quartet’s now familiar finale – John Coltrane’s Impressions – featured the return of Dan Garel on alto as Dunlop and Brown struck up a most musical bass and piano conversation before bandleader Tulip assumed command taking it out. The applause said it all.    
Russell.    

                         

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