Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

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, June 04, 2018

DJazz: Durham City Jazz Festival - Bits and Pieces (and still great value at £10)

(Musings of Ann Alex/photo of organiser Carlo outside of Empty Shop by Russell).
I arrived in Durham on Saturday afternoon and was met with a woman singer who was doing quite well with jazz standards, at one end of the marketplace. I’m still not sure whether she was part of the festival – I suspect not, as she appeared to be accompanied by canned music.  My luck was in as Tony Eales then appeared, as if by magic, and he directed me to the Empty Shop venue, which I’ve wanted to visit for ages. I just wished to check it out, but of course, I stayed for half an hour, I just couldn’t stop listening to Francis Tulip’s Quartet (reviewed elsewhere). I did worry that if they played any louder, we might all be buried in rubble if this very old building collapsed!

I left before the end and was met this time by heavy rain, which impeded my travels to The Claypath Delicatessen. I was quite unable to get through the door of this venue, which was blocked by the (er) rear end of a man who was very busy taking official photos of the band’s performance until an organiser asked him to move out of the way for a minute. Amusing stuff like this adds fun to festivals, for me it does, anyway. 
The Julija Jaciente Trio (Julija on vocals, with Steve Glendinning on guitar and Paul Grainger on bass) were just rounding off their first set. The second set opened with Misty, with very skilled scat from Julija. I’m not into scat all that much, but Julija’s is very acceptable as it really fits into the song well and it isn’t just an add-on, but an integral part of the music. There’ll Never Be Another You followed, with really wild scat this time, but it worked well as it came across as humorous, almost as if our singer was making fun of herself. And we had the added attraction of a bass solo, and of course Steve’s wonderful guitar.

Then came the audience participation. I’m used to this from folk music clubs, but it’s more unusual in jazz circles. However Julija has the right sort of personality to make this a success. We were taught a simple song with the words ‘O adiar, adio, opa, opa opa’, two people were given shakers to play, and we were off. Then dancing was suggested by our singer, so a couple got up and did just that. The set was rounded off with a heartwarming version of What a Wonderful World, which is the first jazz song that Julija heard, many years ago. I guess that the first half must have been much longer and I’d missed it, and I wished I could be split in two. Julija's new CD of originals will be reviewed shortly by Lance.

I was interested to realise that at this venue, most of the audience was young, with many, being in Durham, students, whereas at the Empty Shop, the audience was older, mostly people I knew from the Gateshead Jazz Festival.

I then wandered vaguely in the direction of the Redhills Durham Miners Hall, and soon met others going there to hear Soweto Kinch (reviewed elsewhere).  I sat in the seat of the delegate for pit number 35 (I wonder which pit that was?) and enjoyed the gig, and also found out what Freestyle (from hip hop culture) actually is. You learn lots at festivals. This one was wonderfully well organised, and the people on duty were very helpful.
I’ll be back next year!
Ann Alex

No comments :

Blog Archive