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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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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.

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

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Jam session @ The Dun Cow, Jesmond - August 22

(Review/photos by Russell)
The house trio set-up in good time as Brandling Park jam session regulars bagged prime seats ahead of the eight o'clock downbeat. It's taken a while but the signs are good, audience numbers are slowly but surely increasing and with next month's influx of students - both freshers and old hands - the future looks bright for the fortnightly session.  

Things started relatively sanely given that the irrepressible James Harrison led the session. When the Teessider is in town anything can happen. Yardbird Suite set the measure, would anyone be brave enough to get up and give it a go? Step forward Kevin Green toting a soprano sax. A measured Night and Day did no harm and the self-confessed 'am jammer' will return, one hopes, with any lingering nerves banished. 
Kay Usher is a regular participant at this Jesmond session and a brace of tunes - I Can't Give You Anything but Love and My Little Suede Shoes - kept the pot boiling. Harrison quipped: Next victim please! Well, the next 'victim' was to give as good as he got. Jimmy Jefford was in town and set about blazing an alto bop trail before taking it down on In a Sentimental Mood. He would return.

Andrea Harrison and Lisa Delarny teamed up with electric bassist Rob Walker and ace drummer Paul Grainger. What's that? Has your correspondent been drinking? No, bottled water, m'Laud. Yes, drummer Rob Walker swapped roles with PG to accompany vocalist Andrea and rhythm guitarist Lisa on What a Difference a Day Makes and, with a quick change around, Harrison J (aka a piano player) getting behind the traps on Marvin Gaye's communal anthem What's Going On as Jefford belatedly returned to the action. Confused? You could have been if you'd just wandered in off the street! See photos...

Who else was around? They were propping up the bar. Niffi Osiyemi next up with It Don't Mean a Thing followed by Jazz Co-oper Jen Errington dipping in to the GASbook to sing I Thought About You. Pianist, bassist and drummer had resumed their rightful roles as the action hotted up. Tenor man John Rowland parked his bicyclette outside, stepping inside to accompany, alongside Strictly Smokin' trumpet-playing MD Michael Lamb, the one-and-only Alice Grace! Lullaby of Birdland...honestly, simply sublime. Another one from AG...Lerner and Loewe's On the Street Where You Live from My Fair Lady. Our Fair Lady, Ms Grace wowed the audience with Michael Lamb's solo being marked down as solo of the night, no question.

Talking of Fair Ladies...Lindsay Hannon arrived in time for a fine finale with a typically personal take on Billie's God Bless the Child (superb piano playing by Harrison). Every which way this week's jam session proved to be the best yet. 
Russell
James Harrison (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass, drums); Rob Walker (drums, bass guitar) + Kevin Green (soprano sax); Kay Usher (violin); Jimmy Jefford (alto sax); Andrea Harrison (vocals); Lisa Delarny (guitar); Niffi Osiyemi (vocals); Jen Errington (vocals); John Rowland (tenor sax); Michael Lamb (trumpet); Alice Grace (vocals); Lindsay Hannon (vocals)     

1 comment :

Russell said...

George Sykes - George, please accept my apologies for omitting your name and failing to mention your as usual excellent contribution to Wednesday's Dun Cow jam session.I offer no excuse other than incompetence!

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