Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17864 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 185 of them this year alone and, so far,32 this month (March10).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: The Exu + Matt Cliffe @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 13: Oh La La! @ Allendale Village Hall, Northumberland. 7:30pm. £12.00.; £6.00. child. Fifi La Mer (accordion, vocals), Oliver Wilby (reeds).
Thu 13: Fiona Finden’s Jazz Express @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 14: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Taylor @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00-2:00pm. £5.00. at the door. Second Friday in the month lunchtime concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Brass Funkeys + Dilutey Juice @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Oh La La! @ Edmundbyers Village Hall, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. £12.00.; £10.00. (additional £5.00. supper option, ordered in advance). Fifi La Mer (accordion, vocals), Oliver Wilby (reeds).
Fri 14: The Collective @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £8.50.
Fri 14: Bridget Metcalfe Quintet @ St George’s Venue, Park Road, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.

Sat 15: Hot Teapots @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 15: Lagos to Longbenton + Belladonna @ Whitley Bay Big Social, Whitley Road, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Afrobeat/jazz fusion + soul/funk/R&B
Sat 15: Creakin’ Bones @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Is This Jazz? @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk. Performances by Mu Quintet, Jinjé, A Brief Utopia, John Pope & Co + André Marmot (author of Unapologetic Expression: The Inside Story of the UK Jazz Explosion) in conversation + DJ sets ‘til 3:00am. ‘A Festival of New Jazz’.
Sat 15: Vintage Explosion @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 15: Alligator Gumbo @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Sat 15: One Night Standards @ The White Room, Stanley. 8:00pm. £8.67 (inc. bf). Note - previously advertised Salty Dogs cancelled.
Sat 15: Howlin’ Mat @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Blues guitar.

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: Pearl Blossoms @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime.
Sun 16: Hot 8 Brass Band @ Wylam Brewery. 7:30pm. ‘Big Tuba Tour’.
Sun 16: ARQ @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 16: Air4ce @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (8:00pm doors). £12.00.; £10.00. Tom Atkinson’s all-star band (line-up inc. Lindsay Hannon & Sue Ferris).
Sun 16: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Jamie Toms Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.
Tue 18: Phil Bancroft’s Beautiful Storm @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20 & £11.00.. A JNE-Gem Arts co-promotion.

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

Wednesday, May 02, 2018

Jazz Café Jam Session - May 1.

(Review by Lance)
With James Harrison on keyboards, I knew this would be no ordinary jam and it wasn't! Young 'Jack-in-a-Box' is guaranteed to enliven any gathering - sometimes to excess - and this was no exception.
Bourbon St. Parade was an unlikely opener with James ripping through the traditional New Orleans flag-waver like as though he was in a bar off Congo Square. Russ Morgan kept up the Red Beans and Rice flavour with some parade drumming whilst a bemused Paul Grainger played all the right notes in all the right places.
In a Mellow Tone and the seemingly obligatory bossa nova (Summer Samba aka So Nice) followed before it was time to start the jam session proper!
First up was Kate O'Neill with God Bless the Child and Alfie. The latter tune owed nothing to Cilla Black and had some impish piano from James.

Ray Johnson played bebop on, I think, Moments Notice (I'm guessing!) and Polka Dots and Moonbeams (not guessing). Dan Garel blew some dazzling alto on Stella by Starlight and another tune I vaguely recognised. A newcomer on drums - Michael Young - slotted in well.

Get James Harrison and, nine times out of ten, you get Paul Skerritt.
Tonight, the South Shields' Sinatra sang It's Only a Paper Moon and Don't Get Around Much Anymore. With Dan Garel on alto, it went down well.

Another singing sensation took to the ‘stage’ - Nifemi Osiyemi. I Just Want to Make Love to You (the line was already forming) and it was one soulful rendition - this girl don't take no prisoners! Wow! Makin' Whoopee followed by which time Paul Gowland was blowing soprano.

Paul stayed in the spotlight for My Favourite Things and My Foolish Heart with Hazem 'Mo' Mohammed now on drums.
Change of pianist. Ben Richardson, a regular 'jammer', played a sensitive version of I Can't Get Started. 


John Pope, fresh from a visit to the barbershop, took over from Paul Grainger on bass with the frontline now Garel and David 'Showtime' Gray and yet another drummer, Harry Still.
Don't ask me what they played but it was a rouser that brought the house down.


They were going through drummers tonight like Sunderland go through managers and John Bradford was the next one to bite the bullet as they introduced one another to Miss Jones. We've met the lady a few times but she keeps coming back for more and I'm sure she enjoyed this romp as much as we did.

Paul Skerritt returned for the finale. Not just Paul, but just about everyone still standing, including the hip-swivelling Osiyemi. They were Letting the Good Times Roll.
It had been quite a night.
Lance 
James Harrison (keys); Paul Grainger (bass); Russ Morgan (drums) + Kate O'Neill (vocals); Ray Johnson (trumpet); Dan Garel (alto); Michael Young (drums); Paul Skerritt (vocal); Nifemi Osiyemi (vocals); Paul Gowland (soprano); Hazem 'Mo' Mohammed (drums); Ben Richardson (piano); Harry Still (drums); John Pope (bass); John Bradford (drums); David 'Showtime' Gray (trombone).


PS: For the final number James switched from electric piano to steam piano as this photo by Russell shows.

1 comment :

ray johnson said...

Yes it was Moment's Notice Lance.

Blog Archive