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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 16: MOBO Song @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 12 noon. Free, performances on the concourse. Line-up inc. Jazz Attack (on stage time TBC) & Jambone (12:20pm).
Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. .

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones - 1975.
Thu 20: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 20: Orange Claw Hammer + Peony @ The Globe, Newcastle.7:30pm. Orange Claw Hammer play Captain Beefheart.
Thu 20: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Featuring special guest Zoë Gilby.

Fri 21: JazzMain @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. TBC.
Fri 21: Emma Rawicz w. Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

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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