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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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 16: MOBO Song @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 12 noon. Free, performances on the concourse. Line-up inc. Jazz Attack (on stage time TBC) & Jambone (12:20pm).
Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. .

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones - 1975.
Thu 20: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 20: Orange Claw Hammer + Peony @ The Globe, Newcastle.7:30pm. Orange Claw Hammer play Captain Beefheart.
Thu 20: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Featuring special guest Zoë Gilby.

Fri 21: JazzMain @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. TBC.
Fri 21: Emma Rawicz w. Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

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, March 30, 2018

The Dominic J Marshall Trio @ The Globe – March 29

Dominic J Marshall (keys, electronics, vocals, introductions); Glenn Gaddum Junior (bass guitar); Jamie Peet (drums).
(Review by Ann Alex/photo courtesy of Ken Drew)
This was a joint venture put on by the Jazz Co-op and Jazz North East, and it was great to see fans from both camps enjoying the music. Not your usual jazz trio with standard tunes and solos, but groove-based pieces, with influences from pop, soul, and hip-hop, and each musician playing a full part in the proceedings, although Dominic J Marshall was the undoubted trio leader. He also sang on some numbers, groove-based lines in a rather deadpan voice, not exactly tunes, but rather lines of notes, which suited the style. The pieces were all originals, but I didn’t catch the names of all the tunes.

The first tune was quite typical, an ensemble start with the drummer very much an equal player, groovy sections of music, slowing down at the turnaround of each section, a break for the drummer to perform, more ensemble led by keys, a bass break, drums and keys in rhythm, then a sudden end, just when you thought it would continue. Then came Mean To Me, partly sung, call and response with the singer, keys sounding organ-like, then bell-like. Next came Basle Old Town (?) which would have been a good cinema soundtrack, a landscape of sound, mixed, random, and a strong keys tune gradually emerges, with varied key sounds, piano, sweet, organ-like, ending with an American voice-over, although I couldn’t make out the words.  Storyline included singing ‘want to carry you all the way home’, and the last tune before half-time gave us a richly flowing piano.

After the halftime raffle, (2 CD’s were won by 2 lucky people) we had a love song Two Lives In One, ‘when you don’t know what to do, do what you’re destined to do’; then SP3, which was a remix of a computer game tune from Marshalls’ childhood, lots of spaceship sounds, whirrs from the keys, and deep tones. Then came a riff-driven song, Elephant Man, from the last album, with elephantish tones and jungle noises, winding down to a quiet ending. The final number was Hypernormalised, with conversational singing to a constant background of drums and bass. During this number, a mobile ringtone went off in the seat behind, which fitted quite well with the music, and it occurred to me that this was another musical influence used by the band, which is one of the aspects of the music which provides a very modern feel.
Another enjoyable evening of unusual jazz.

Ann Alex

1 comment :

Lance said...

Sorry I missed this one but I was off colour and had to settle for an early night. I recall reviewing one of Dominic's albums a few years back - Spirit Speech - which I enjoyed very much and I looked forward to hearing him live.

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