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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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, May 21, 2018

The Bud Plus: Budtet @ The Globe Jazz Bar - May 20

Stu Finden (tenor); Fiona Finden (sop/vocal); Jude Murphy (alto/flute/vocal); Dave Weisser (cornet/vocal); Lin Lee Wong (piano); Andrew 'Drew' Porritt (bass); Eric Stutt (drums).
(Review by Lance).
Budtet's guitarist didn't make the gig. Understandable as Budtet were a last-minute replacement after the all-girl Break Out Brass Band pulled out. So the octet became a septet albeit, like the band they were depping for, still with a strong - if not total - female presence.
The plus factor did remain with the addition of the legendary Dave Weisser playing muted cornet and singing in his inimitable way.
However, the star of the evening was the departing keyboard player, Lin Lee Wong. Ms Wong will be missed by both band and audience. Her final chorus on A Train a timely reminder of what we're losing.
The additional voice that Weisser's cornet brought filled out the front line giving Boplicity an ensemble sound that rivalled the original Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool recording.
The opening number, Hank Mobley's This I Dig of You had set the stall out with solos all round - a pattern that followed for all the instrumental numbers. Initially, the balance wasn't perfect - the sound engineer had phoned in sick - but it smoothed out as the evening progressed and my ears adjusted to the room's acoustics.
Weisser sang On Green Dolphin St, complete with unaccompanied verse. This was Dave in Mark Murphy mode. Later, he took on the role of Eddie Jefferson for Annie Ross' famous vocalese version of Wardell Gray's Twisted - unravel that one if you can.
Groovin' High was pure bebop with everyone diggin' deep. Fi Finden sang Quiet Nights. It was ok given that I think bossa novas are now mucho passé. More to my taste was You Go To My Head which, apart from Fi's fine vocal, had a sooper dooper solo from Lin Lee.
Dave, Jude and Fiona formed a vocal trio for Route 66 that took a few detours.
A Dave Weisser gig invariably includes a tale and tonight's story was of him driving to California (on Route 66) in a beat-up automobile that eventually burnt-out in San Bernadino. It was New Year's Eve and he ended up getting drunk in San Berdoo!
Jude went solo for Nick Drake's River Man, the band played All the Things You Are, Fiona sang Wes' Four on Six and the show drew to an emotional climax with the aforementioned A Train.
It had been an enjoyable evening all of the soloists impressing, Eric Stutt's drums as punchy as ever, Drew's bass providing the vital linchpin whilst Lin Lee's injections into his solos were both humourous and effective. Apart from her too few vocals, Jude stood out on flute and alto, Fiona wailed on soprano and Stu's tenor playing cried to be heard more often.
A joyous and yet sad night - Exeter, you owe us one. Not only do you annihilate our rugby team but you commandeer one of our best pianists!
Lance.

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