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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

17680 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 23 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Jan. 9).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Mon 13: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 13: Raymond MacDonald & Andy Champion @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session. TBC.

Thu 16: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 17: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 17: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 17: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £TBC.
Fri 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 18: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 18: Alter Ego + Jamie Toms/Graham Don Duo @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 18: Delta Prophets @ 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, April 09, 2018

GIJF Day 3: House of the Black Gardenia - Sage Gateshead, April 8

Bobbi Charleston (washboard/vocals); Michael Lamb (trumpet); Keith Robinson (sax/clarinet); David Gray (trombone); Michael Littlefield (guitar/banjo/vocals); Ben Immrye (piano/vocals); Neil Hopper (bass/sousaphone); Kit Haigh (drums).
(Review by Lance).
The concourse was crowded, the word had got around that this band was something else. The swing dancers were poised, ready to occupy the prepared floor space and the band kicked off with Blue Drag. 20s/30s jazz that slots in nicely between the New Orleans/Dixieland period and the later bebop sounds.
In other words, Swing!
All the horns were well featured throughout. David Gray playing trombone like J.C. Higginbotham, Michael Lamb, often in plunger mode and Robinson blowing tough tenor, subtle soprano and charismatic clarinet.
Leader Bobbi sang and shimmied and manipulated her thimble-fingered digits across her Reliance washboard like a real scrubber (please accept that remark as having been written in jest Bobbi!) She's great.
More vocals from Littlefield and Imrye with the latter playing fine stride piano and the former giving us some period style guitar (he also played banjo without causing too much damage). Bass/sousaphone kept things stomping as did Kit on kit.
However, the session was given the seal of approval by the dancers who Lindy hopped like their American ancestors did at the Savoy Ballroom back in the day.
Quite an afternoon.
Blue Drag/Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho; Russian Caravan; Skirts; Graveyard Shift; Ain't it Hard; Showgirl; Sharkey Bonano's  I'm Satisfied With my Girl; Basie's Evenin'; Big Big Man and Viper Man.
Lance

2 comments :

Jude Murphy (on F/b). said...

What a brilliant way to round off the concourse performances. It felt like a party

Patti (on F/b) said...

Oh yes - it was fantastic - those of us not among the swing dancers were shaking our booties at the back!!

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