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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 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

17957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 278 of them this year alone and, so far, 34 this month (April 14).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Only Six Standards.
Thu 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Fri 18: Alexia Gardner @ Fika Gallery, Oldgate, Morpeth NE61 1LT. 7:00pm. Trio (Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy).RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13

Fri 18: Sarah Jane Morris & Tony Remy: The Sisterhood @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00.

Sat 19: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 19: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 21: Newcastle Record Fair @ Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. 10:00am. Going in search of the Buddy Bolden cylinder…
Mon 21: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.

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, May 18, 2018

Dom Pipkin @ The Forum, Darlington - May 17

Dom Pipkin (piano/vocal)
(Review by Lance)
The choices were multiple: Alan Barnes with the Paul Edis Trio in Fenham; the Alex Hitchcock Quintet at the Jazz Café; Dom Pipkin playing solo piano in Darlo and a few others. Tough calls all around. Alan Barnes is my favourite alto player and the Edis Trio are guaranteed to provide the perfect backdrop and much more, whilst the recent release by the Alex Hitchcock Quintet indicated that they are a band on the up and up and one to get in on the ground floor (albeit, the first floor at JC) saying "I was there!"
In the end, I opted for a drive down the A1(M)/A167 to Darlington.
Why? Well, as an indication of how frequent a visitor Alan Barnes is to the area - one of BSH's worthy constituents refers to him as "Barnsey!" (How familiar can you get?!) and I knew there would be plenty more opportunities.
I also knew that BSH would have representation at The Caff so, as I'd been mega impressed by Pipkin and his Ikos when they played Hoochie, I drove my Chevy to the Darlo Levee or, to be more precise, The Forum.
It was a wise decision.
A history of New Orleans' piano legends by a man who, if he'd been born in the French Quarter maybe 100 years earlier would have been one himself and, after tonight's showing,  he's still got time.
Jelly Roll Morton, Professor Longhair, James Booker, Fats Domino and Doctor John provided the staple fayre with Pipkin displaying his own prodigious piano technique topped with blues-drenched vocals and inter-round summaries in between pieces.
All done in an entertaining style that had the audience demanding more.
And they got it, although possibly not quite what they were expecting!
I'll be Seeing You as played by Liberace, as interpreted by James Booker, and performed by the InDOMinitable Pipkin.
It's no surprise he sold a lot of Smokin' Boogie CDs. I've heard it and reviewed it, listened to it again and loved it.
Music:
Iko Iko; Basin St. Blues; The Crave (Morton); Farewell to Storyville (from the film New Orleans); Louisiana (Percy Mayfield); Mardi Gras in New Orleans (Longhair); Whole Lotta Lovin' (Longhair/Domino); Love Affair With New Orleans (Pipkin); Blue Monday (Domino); Pixie (Booker); Junco Partner Blues (Booker); Such a Night (Dr. John); Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans? (film New Orleans); Those Old Cotton Fields Back Home and I'll be Seeing You.
Lance.
PS: During the interval, I chatted with David Pipkin who informed he was a founding member of the Safe Sextet (2018 version is at The Fox in Hexham next Tuesday, May 22) and I took some pics of Dom.
Where are they? I hear you ask.
Life's never perfect, is it? Taking my jacket off when I got home, camera fell out of my pocket and landed on the hard floor. The camera survived but the photos didn't!
Now I'm the one singin' the blues...
Sorry Dom.

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