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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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

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

Preview: Ushaw Jazz Festival (August 24-26)

(Preview by Russell)
Tomorrow sees the start of the third annual Ushaw Jazz Festival. Now firmly established in the jazz calendar, this year's headliners - Nicola Farnon, Jo Harrop and Alan Barnes - are guaranteed to attract large audiences to the magnificent Ushaw estate. 

The action begins at six o'clock on Friday (August 24) in the Francis Thompson Room. The Early Bird Big Band - an expanded line-up of Paul Edis' young musicians' workshop band - will set the standard for the August bank holiday weekend. Such is the talent within the ranks that some former members have gone on to secure places at prestigious music schools at home and abroad. 

At eight o'clock Ushaw Jazz Festival director Paul Edis features alongside the first of the event's headline names. Yorkshire-based Nicola Farnon returns to the region having made a lasting impression with a winning performance at Durham's Gala Theatre. The double bassist-singer will arrive at Ushaw - located a couple of miles from Durham City - with drummer Phil Johnson. The trio will entertain festival-goers with a programme comprising gems from the Great American Songbook together with one or two original compositions. The Nicola Farnon Trio comes highly recommended.
Ushaw day two (Saturday 25) begins with a corker! The Graeme Wilson Quartet is, as London Jazz News stated, 'a surefire winner'. Multi reeds master Wilson will make the trip from his Edinburgh home to reunite with his north east of England friends Paul Edis, Andy Champion and Adam Sinclair to play a set of tunes, mostly, if not exclusively, written by bandleader Wilson. A new album is in the offing and you can be assured some of the material will be heard at Ushaw. It's a one o'clock start in the elegant Francis Thompson Room and it's no exaggeration to say this could be the set of the weekend. 

It could be a good idea to hang onto your seat in the Francis Thompson Room as the Tulip/MacKellar Quartet follows at four o'clock. Guitarist Francis Tulip and drummer Matt MacKellar are graduates of the aforementioned Early Birds. As autumn approaches they are turning their thoughts to resuming their hothouse studies - Tulip in Birmingham, MacKellar in Boston, USA - so do take this opportunity to hear these rare talents before they depart.

It's all happening in the Francis Thompson lounge! Stay where you are because at six o'clock the guitar duo of Giles Strong and Roly Veitch will be playing a selection of their favourite numbers by some of their all-time favourite guitarists. Expect to hear some Jim Hall, perhaps Joe Pass, and one of Roly's guitar heroes, Canadian Ed Bickert. 

Saturday's closing concert at eight - this one is in the Exhibition Hall - features the wonderful Jo Harrop. The London-based singer will be returning to her County Durham roots and she'll be bringing with her the Copasetic Foundation's pianist Alex Webb and alto saxophonist Tony Kofi! Jo will meet up once again with Andy Champion, double bass, and drummer Russ Morgan to play a set titled: Jo Harrop sings Peggy Lee. There is so much great jazz to hear during the weekend but if you can make it to just one concert then this one won't disappoint. Unreservedly recommended. Nite-owls will have a ball from 10:15 when a free admission jam session gets underway. Sit and listen, or sit-in, the choice is yours. 

Ushaw day three (Sunday 26) dawns - in truth, it's an afternoon start at 1:00 - in the spectacular setting of St Cuthbert's Chapel. If you know Durham Cathedral but are yet to visit Ushaw then you're in for a treat. As you take a pew, see if you can stifle a cry of WOW! The place is truly impressive and the music, a suite written by Ushaw Jazz Festival director Paul Edis, has garnered universal praise. Originally a commissioned work celebrating the life of St Cuthbert with performances at Ushaw and Durham Cathedral, it has subsequently toured across the north of England and this homecoming concert by the all-star Ushaw Ensemble presents a further opportunity to hear the suite in an amazing architectural space. 

Festival director Paul Edis is committed to offering performance opportunities to emerging musicians. BABA represents a Tyneside - by way of Portugal! - success story. Alto and tenor saxophonist Thomas Dixon co-leads BABA (translating to 'Spit' in Portuguese) with Portuguese born pianist/vocalist Inês Gonçalves. They met at Sage Gateshead on the BMus degree course and with Tom having recently graduated and Inês to follow next year, they're embarking on a career in music.  The other half of the BABA quartet comprises fellow Sage student Adam Cornell, bass, and Early Bird/Jambone/session drummer extraordinaire Dylan Thompson. Citing Binker and Moses and Cuban piano sensation Alfredo Rodríguez as two of many influences, BABA brings together elements of straight ahead, Latin and free jazz to create a sound that is unmistakeably BABA.    

With so much great jazz across three days, the question arises: How to go out on a high? Well, the closing concert at this year's Ushaw Jazz Festival features one of the finest big bands in the country. The Strictly Smokin' Big Band is a major attraction in its own right with top-flight soloists in the sections and the dynamic vocal duo of Alice Grace and F'reez fronting the band.

MD Michael Lamb has paired the Strictly Smokin' with a succession of star names - Bruce Adams, Paul Booth, Hailey Tuck, to name but three - resulting in memorable performances and here at Ushaw the one-and-only Alan Barnes will join the band for what can best be described as a barnstorming session. Barnes has topped polls year after year, his popularity showing no signs of waning. Tickets for the six o'clock show in the Exhibition Hall are £10 and details of a range of admission prices for the other concerts, including day and weekend tickets, are available at www.ushaw.org. Put the dates in the diary - August 24-26, better still log on to book your tickets or telephone the box office on 0191 373 8500. Please note - if you plan to arrive by car (free parking!) use the following SatNav postcode: DH7 7DW. Ushaw offers catering throughout the weekend, the building is wheelchair accessible and baby change facilities are available. See you there!
See John Nesbitt video.
Russell
Nicola Farnon photo © Brian Ebbatson.
Jo Harrop/Alan Barnes photos © Jerry E.         

2 comments :

John Nesbitt (on F/b). said...

The fabulous Nicola Farnon. Here's a taster; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0InGmEqMTc

Unknown said...

Hi Russell
'In Other Words' are also now confirmed to play at 2.30pm on the Sunday.
Andrea

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