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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.

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

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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: ???

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

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Durham University Big Band @ The Jazz Café - June 15

(Review by Lance/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew.)
If I thought the Bold Big Band were loud at the Dun Cow on Tuesday, DUBB, in the Jazz Café's upper room, made them seem like a string quartet. This is no reflection on either band but on the dimensions of the room. The Dun Cow had more space for the sound to travel and the chat level of some of the infidels in the audience also absorbed the band's decibels with a few decibels of their own. At the Caff, the sound was trapped and the audience a more attentive one. The main thing about both gigs was the sight of so many young musicians playing, so brilliantly, the music we love.
There was also an aura of sadness at both gigs as, being the end of term, several of the key players are departing for pastures new.
Tonight saw final appearances from alto/soprano saxist Dan Garel and drummer Tristan Bacon. Star players both, their departure akin to that of a Newcastle United Number 9 (Jackie Milburn, Super Mac, Alan Shearer etc.) leaving/retiring.
Both players let fellow band members and fans know what they were losing in no uncertain terms - particularly on Caravan, a Callum Au arrangement. 
There was a fine smattering of solos throughout with trombonist Patrick Morris kicking things off on Just Friends. Big fat sound. Frontman Zach Fox followed up on tenor and Garel began his long goodbye...
NYJO's Mark Armstrong, who'd, last week, put the band through their paces at a Durham workshop charted A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square and the band did him and the song justice.
Vocalist Evie looked good and sounded good (after some mic. adjustments) on Cheek to Cheek. Trumpet solo (Matt Clark) also impressed.
Point of Departure was in a more contemporary vein. Garel on soprano soloed and exchanged fours with trumpet (again M.Clark).
Eleanor Rigby featured Alex Flanders on flugel and Evie returned for I Can Do Better, She can, but tonight, on this number at least, it was a losing battle with the wall of sound behind her.
Rob Singleton fared better, but only just, on a rocky number that I failed to catch. Good voice and a mover too.
A shorter second set included a Shorter (Wayne) composition - Footprints; Robert Glasper's Let it Ride with Evie in good voice and Zach blowing some gutsy tenor; Singleton sang I Won't Dance à la Frank and finally (well almost finally) Evie sang the most amazing hip-hop vocal on Diddy-Bop and Dan blew as if there was no tomorrow.
Personnel listed is an educated guess.
Zach did namecheck everyone but, as he did it almost as fast as they played the Love For Sale encore my pen couldn't cope with it.
A superb evening by a superb band - let's see what next year's crop comes up with. It won't be easy...
Lance.
Dan Garel, Laura Buckingham alto; Zach Fox, tenor; Matt Shaw baritone;
Louis Clayden, Alex Flanders, Honor Hornsby, Matt Clark trumpet; 
Patrick Morris, Jordan Wiseman, Tommy Wise trombone; 
Tom Burgess guitar; Danny Booth piano; Dylan Purches bass; Tristan Bacon drums; 
Evie Hill, Rob Singleton vocals.

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