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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

18018 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 339 of them this year alone and, so far, 17 this month (May 7).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Thu 15: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: The Greatest in Jazz - Guitarists.
Thu 15: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 15: New Ways of Moving in the Counterworlds @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). John Garner & John Pope.

Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Sophie Speed with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ Longframlington Memorial Hall. 7:00pm (doors). Tickets: £12.00. from 01665 570984.
Fri 16: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 16: Peter Donegan & Anthony Donegan @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. ‘Lonnie Donegan - The Stories’.

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. 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

Wednesday, August 08, 2018

Jazz Café Jam Session - August 7

(Review by Lance).
23 musicians, maybe more, 'jammed' into 3 hours of sheer delight. They came, they blew, they plucked, they sang, they paradiddled, they conquered.
New faces, old faces, both in the audience and in the performance area - I doubt if anyone was disappointed apart from those at the back of the sitters-in queue who maybe arrived too late and didn't make the cut.
Veteran trombonist Neville Hartley made his Jazz Caff debut and proved he could hold his own with the young Turks with some fine playing. Jordan Alfonso left his alto at home and, instead, dazzled on a dazzling tenor - a recent acquisition I wonder? 
Harry Keeble blew tenor like as though JC was still with us. Likewise Paul Gowland on soprano. Keeble wore shorts. The last Keeble I saw wearing shorts played for NUFC back in the day when they used to win things. This Keeble also looks to win things musically. David Gray too wore shorts, shorts that were almost as eye-catching as his trombone playing was ear-catching. 
Newcomer Mehraram had a brief stint on piano playing a tune I know but cannot for the life of me recall the title.
Hardy and Metcalf added their own brand of fire to the brass whilst Tulip and Williams gave us a glimpse of guitar heaven.
For once,  Paul Grainger had an easier shift with John Pope providing respite and behind them, the drummers were almost on a conveyer belt as Walker gave way to Finn who moved over for Fairhurst who vacated the stool for Bradford who passed the sticks to MacKellar who, in turn, brought Walker back into the fray for an exciting musical brawl with Murphy on congas.
Then there were the singers.
Oh yes, we had singers, did we not!
Niffi gave us Almost Like Being in Love, delivered in her own inimitable style, Kate added more emotion with I Only Have Eyes For You and Andrea Harrison pitched in with Lover Man. This was as good as it gets - or was it?
I'll explain. No, Don't Explain sang Nishla Smith. We didn't - the silenced room said it all.
Nishla, an Australian singer from Manchester, currently in residence at Sage Gateshead, provided a welcome contrast Check her out.
The evening ended with all and sundry Letting the Good Times Roll - they certainly
rolled last night!
Photos.
Lance
Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Grainger (bass); Rob Walker (drums/bass guitar) + Brendan Murphy (congas); Abbie Finn (drums); Harry Keeble (tenor); John Pope (bass); Ramtin Mehraram (piano); Matt Fairhurst (drums); James Metcalf (trumpet); Jordan Alfonso (tenor); Graham Hardy (trumpet); Neville Hartley (trombone); Niffi Osiyemi (vocal); Nishla Smith (vocal); John Bradford (drums); Kate O'Neill (vocal); Francis Tulip (guitar); Andrea Harrison (vocal); Lisa Delarny (guitar); Matt MacKellar (drums); Paul Gowland (soprano); David Gray (trombone).

1 comment :

Bruce Bax (on F/b). said...

Some of the singing was just great last night.

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