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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17744 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 64 of them this year alone and, so far, 64 this month (Jan. 26).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 12 noon-2:00pm (two sets). £12.00. admission (card or cash at the door). Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums). Note change of venue, no longer at Mrs M’s as advertised, the concert will be in the Old Library (Bishop Auckland Jazz’s regular venue). Important! It’s a ‘BYOB’ arrangement - ie bring your own booze (and/or tea, coffee, soft drinks).
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:00pm. ‘Klezmer, Gypsy Jazz, Balkan & More!’.
Fri 31: Nothing in Rambling @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £10.00. + bf. Country blues duo.
Fri 31 Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Wylam Institute. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. + £1.50. bf.
Fri 31: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £10.00 + bf. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.
Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00 Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 31: SwanNek + Rivkala @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. SwanNek’s new single launch gig. Pilgrim, formerly Hoochie Coochie.
Fri 31: King Bees @ Blues Underground; Nelson St., Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

February 2025

Sat 01: Alan Barnes & John Hallam with the Tom Kincaid Trio @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - Cy Coleman’s Witchcraft. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 01: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 01: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Western swing etc.

Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 02: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 02: Jive Aces @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Sun 02: John Pope + Andy Champion + Ian Paterson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Subterranean Explorations 1’. Three (half hour) solo bass sets.
Sun 02: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 03: Andy Watt & Dan Rogers @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance. Jazz, blues, folk etc.
Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. 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

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Classic Swing @ The Ship, Monkseaton - July 31.

Olive Rudd (vocals); Bob Wade (trumpet/flugel/clarinet); Jim McBriarty (clarinet/tenor); Neville Hartley (trombone); Colin Haikney (piano); Alan Rudd (bass); Tommy Graham (drums) + Gordon Solomon (trombone).
(Review by Lance/photos by Russell).
The Metro reached Monkseaton without mishap enabling us to reach The Ship - built in 1688 - just in time for Classic Swing to kick off their regular Tuesday lunchtime session.
Vocalist Olive gave me an effusive greeting saying, "I must have known you were coming as I've included I Wished on the Moon in the setlist." Full marks for remembering that this is one of my favourite tunes.
Good to hear Neville Hartley and, second set, Gordon Solomon on trombone. Their duo choruses brought to mind J and K. The not so good news was that regular trombonist Don Fairley couldn't make it due to ill health.
We wish him well. 

It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing told the audience where this band was at - most of those present probably knew those sentiments before the band did. The aforementioned Wished on the Moon had Olive in good voice and a splendid muted bone solo from Hartley. Eeny Meeny Miny Moe then, I've Never Been in Love Before lied Olive in a superb rendition with Jim McBriarty on tenor which also had fine piano from Colin Haikney. There's a lot of top-notch pianists currently plying their trade on the jazz scene and Colin ranks alongside the best.
The set closed with Rosetta; Christopher Columbus; Hard Hearted Hannah and C Jam Blues. Raffle tickets were bought and discarded. Gordon Solomon arrived. Unprintable stories of the late Clive Gray were exchanged then it was business as usual.
Well not quite. The trombone wisdom of Solomon was added to the front line and, in the words of Ira Gershwin as interpreted by Olive, 'twas 'S Wonderful. 
N and G did their J and K bit on I Got Rhythm. Acapella choruses with only Alan Rudd for support. Only is hardly the right word. He holds it all together and rather than bore you to death like so many bass players do with solos on every number his moments in the spotlight are selective and effective.
East of the Sun; Sent For You Yesterday; Creole Love Call - Bob Wade went on to clarinet for this one so we had 2 x clarinet and 2 x trombone out front. Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Britt Woodman and Quentin Jackson looked down and gave it an angelic thumbs up.
Tommy Graham must have left his brushes in the car as he kicked 7 shades out of Cute. It made for an interesting alternative to the usual effete versions.
And so, after an eventful journey, we arrived at Tuxedo Junction. Olive sang, dancers danced, the horns blew and then we blew.
This is a lovely way to spend a Tuesday (1:00pm-3:00pm.)
Real ale and real music.
Lance
at

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