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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.

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.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

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, September 26, 2018

Jazz Café Jam Session - Sept. 25

(Review by Lance).
It was the second set before the jam really came alight although the first set had begun explosively - how could it not with 'Jack-in-the-box' James Harrison at the keyboard? 200% and counting!

Charlie Gordon was tasteful, Kate O'Neill put her heart and her soul into Solitude and I Only Have Eyes For You and Martin Waugh, himself no mean pianist, had the unenviable task of following James - the last time he was here he had to follow Paul Edis! However, whilst he might bemoan that Everything Happens to Me he had an ace up his sleeve, of which more later. After a somewhat lifeless bossa nova, Andy Lawrence joined in and fiddled his way through Someday my Prince Will Come.*
So far so good although the earth had yet to move.


A short break to allow Paul Grainger's fingers to recuperate - no bass-players in the house tonight - glasses, bottles recharged, then we were back on our heads and off to the races. 
This second set was a whole different ballgame. Ian White, a new name to me, gave a blast on Tenor Madness which saw Harrison, Grainger and Morgan digging deep and playing out of their skulls. Booting tenor, pulsating piano, a walking (well more running) bass and driving drums. Alone Together was more subdued but only just.
Tonight was a night when the Scots invaded and, all the way frae Aberdeen, came Elaine Crighton. Anthropology - wow! Bebop Sung Here! If Elaine doesn't return then I'm on the next train to Aberdeen! Black Coffee - no milk, no sugar, straight no chaser, scalding.
Niffi gave out an all-action rendition of Don't Get Around Much Anymore and Sunny with Paul Gowland added.
On tenor this week and, no doubt up for the challenge set by the previous tenor player, it was all systems go for Paul as he hit the Coltrane button for Speak Low - still The King.

 Martin was back at the keyboard and Poppy played flute in English and sang Ochichanya in Russian.
Time for a male vocal - this time it's Martin who vacates the keyboard to croon that fantastic Matt Dennis ballad Everything Happens to Me.
I make a date for golf and you can bet your life it rains,
I try to throw a party and the guy upstairs complains,
I guess I'll go through life just 
catching colds and missing trains,

Everything happens to me.
Great tune and great lyric but not great enough for Martin who adds his own verse to the song that, sadly, I didn't take note of but it was a hoot. 
It brought the house down and I silently sang it all the way home!
Lance.

James Harrison (keys); Paul Grainger (bass); Russ Morgan (drums) + Charlie Gordon (guitar); Kate O'Neill, Elaine Crighton, Niffi Osiyemi (vocals); Andy Lawrenson (violin); Ian White, Paul Gowland (tenors);  Martin Waugh (keys/vocal); Matthew Fairhurst, Hazem Mohammed (drums); Poppy (vocal/flute).

*Poppy who sat next to me (it was the only empty seat in the house!) asked me who wrote Someday my Prince Will Come and I was stumped and I bet you don't know either! Googling revealed that it was the team of Larry Morey and Frank Churchill who seemingly wrote the music for several Disney films receiving two Oscar nominations along the way, talking of which...

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