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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

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! TO BE RESCHEDULED!
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: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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.

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, March 17, 2018

Good for Jamie Cullum.

On Tuesday night, before his weekly Jazz Show on Radio Two, Jamie said to Simon Mayo that he was paying tribute to Quincy Jones on the eve of his 85th birthday. Mayo asked him about the comments Quincy made about that pop group - you know the one - and his response was “He's Quincy Jones, he can say what he likes” and “Good for him.”
There's been lots of discussion on social media along the lines of what has Quincy Jones ever done for us? Apart from the Jazz, like Dizzy and many others, aside from some of the most memorable theme tunes ever, like Heat of the Night and Ironside, apart from the small matter of Frank Sinatra, aside from the Brothers Johnson, Patti Austin and Benson, apart from Miles' return to the music he made with Gil Evans shortly after his death, what did Q ever do for us to compare to the Beatles?
Ben E king once said that Black America couldn't compete with the Beatles and their haircuts. Maybe if we'd had Michael Jackson.
Q and MJ destroyed them at their own game with Off the Wall and Thriller.
Steve T.

5 comments :

Russell said...

To our BSH ‘prog rock’ correspondent: And I Love Her, Anytime at All, Don’t Let Me Down, Eleanor Rigby, A Hard Day’s Night, I Feel Fine, I Saw Her Standing There, Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer, She Loves You, Something, This Boy, Twist and Shout, Yer Blues and You’re Going to Lose That Girl…unsurpassed vocal harmonies; Lennon’s definitive rock vocals on Twist and Shout; the lyrics ‘Well she was just seventeen, You Know What I Mean’ and ‘You’re going to lose that girl’ – more wonderful vocal harmonies. Your honour, I rest my case.

Lance said...

"You’re Going to Lose That Girl…unsurpassed vocal harmonies"
Unsurpassed vocal harmonies?! I suggest a course of LHR; Man Tran; 4 Freshmen or the Boswell/Andrews Sisters.

Anonymous said...

I think having a dig at prog rock is unfair... It's more related to jazz than anything the beatles ever did. Also "unsurpassed vocal harmonies?" Really? It's generally pretty standard pop harmony. Check out some more serious music for unsurpassed harmonies... and some serious rock for "definitive rock vocals"
John

Steve T said...

I recall Andy Sheppard doing And I love Her and being surprised that it worked (I believe Lance saw Roland Kirk do it). Shortly after I heard Vanessa Feltz play it on the radio (you're in good company believers) and realised how terrible the vocals were.
The only rock record they ever made was Tomorrow Never Knows and George Martin had the decency to distort the silly voice.
Impressions, Dells, OJays, Chilites, Tops, Temps, Blue Magic, Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, Dramatics, Spinners, Whispers, Soul Children, Facts of Life, Temprees, Isleys, Abyssinians, Heptones, Culture, Black Uhuru, Maytals, Wailers etc. etc.
Ironically, all the kiddies pop groups knew their place, just their screaming fans didn't and by the Gallaghers they'd become all things to all people. But singers? Really?

Steve T said...

Manhattan Transfer; you're not as stupid as I look. Considered a bit novelty where I come from but one of them does a brilliant job duetting with Leon Ware on Why I came to California. Check out Dr Buzzards Original Savannah Band (though not for vocal harmonies)for the real thing (where I come from) but you may think THEM a little novelty. Still haven't got LHR but I'll no doubt kick myself.

Yes are playing Sage tonight so expect loads of Jazz influenced guitar, extended passages, difficult time signatures and lots of other techniques shamelessly plundered from Jazz and classical music.
Incidentally, Steve Howe has recently called Quincy Jones' comments pathetic, so he should know his place and know better. Beatles fans aren't about to start buying Yes records Steve; they like the karaoke music and only buy the other music the media tells them to buy; so Bob Dylan, Pet Sounds, Bowie and punkrock (on vinyl).

Moments, Manhattans, Main Ingredient, Delfonocs, Techniques, Paragons, Melodians, Alton Ellis and the Flames etc. etc.

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