Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, 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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

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, August 25, 2018

Nicola Farnon Trio & Early Bird Big Band @ Ushaw, Durham - August 24

Nicola Farnon (vocals/bass); Paul Edis (piano); Phil Johnson (drums)
(Review by Lance).
Headlining day one of Ushaw Jazz Festival 2018, and, because of an imminent power cut, the trio gave a stunning, albeit abbreviated, performance in the august setting of the historic building's Exhibition Hall.
To refer to Ms. Farnon as someone who sings and plays the double bass simultaneously is to do the artist a disservice unless you add that she does both things brilliantly and seamlessly.
A choice selection of GASbook gems plus one of her own compositions had the audience enraptured. All the usual suspects were represented: Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, Duke (V); Duke (E); Rodgers and Hart - particularly Rodgers and Hart. For me, the song of the evening in an evening full of super songs, was the Broadway duo's You Are Too Beautiful. Like Nicola Farnon, I too have loved this song since hearing Johnny Hartman do it with John Coltrane. That is the benchmark and, in its own way, so is Nicola's version. Sung with a delicate, almost ethereal quality, it was as if she was singing to you alone - or so we all thought until we got home and looked in the mirror - such was the emotional impact of her rendition.
Apart from the voice, her bass playing was well up to scratch and her inter-song patter both amusing and informative.
On drums, Phil Johnson did the business exploding when explosions were called for particularly when exchanging fours with Nicola during scat choruses. The pair work well together and by adding the ubiquitous Paul Edis you have a trio - and boy what a trio!

Earlier, Paul had helped to move chairs to accommodate more people in the Francis Thompson Room where he led and played alto with the Early Bird Big Band - more about that shortly. Being the prime organiser of the festival, the news of the impending power cut or 'outage' as the bright sparks ('sparks' get it?) called it might have detracted a lesser person from the business in hand. Not Paul, he played his customary blinder, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by either Nicola or the audience.
A truly magical evening.
Lance.
That Old Devil Moon; Day in, Day Out; The Summer Wind; Taking a Chance on Love; A Foggy Day; The More I See You; This Can't Be Love; It's Just Got To Be That Way (original); Just in Time; You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to; One Note Samba; You Are Too Beautiful; Don't Get Around Much Anymore: Cheek to Cheek.
----- 
Early Bird Big Band: Paul Edis (MD, alto); Haaruun Miller (alto, soprano); Alex Thompson (tenor); Megan Robinson (flute); Ryan de Silva (baritone); Andrew Hedges (trombone); James Metcalf, Graham Hardy (trumpets); Ben Lawrence (piano); Matthew Downey (guitar); Alex Shipsey (bass guitar); Dylan Thompson (drums).
Six O'Clock and the third Ushaw Jazz Festival was underway. Maestro Edis, as Nicola Farnon was to refer to him later, announced that apart from himself and guest trumpet player Graham Hardy all of the band were 18 or under and, not only that but four of them were also composers of very demanding scores - don't they grow up fast these days!

James Metcalf provided Lincoln's Lament, Alex Thompson chipped in with In a Distant Dream, flautist Megan asked Where's it All Leading? and Ben Lawrence gave us the picturesque titled Soft Hazel, inspired, I was told by some hazelnut painted walls!.
In a band of this nature it would be unfair to single out individual soloists - they all soled bar one so I'll mention him.

On drums, Dylan Thompson proved his worth by handling the different rhythms and time signatures thrown at him with the ease of a seasoned professional. Having heard him in different settings I know what an accomplished soloist he is and a couple of choruses on the 12 bar finale would have told the audience just that.
Nevertheless, it was an enlightening set and an eyeopener to anyone hearing these young musicians for the first time.
Lance.
Photos.

No comments :

Blog Archive