Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 2026)

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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

From This Moment On

April

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Nubiyan Twist @ Digital, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £28.75 (inc. bf).
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 7:30pm. Date, time & admission TBC.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm.
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Jam Session @ the Jazz Café - Oct. 16

(Review  by Ron A)
What can I say about last night? no not the jam session, but BSH receiving that well deserved Parliamentary Award is a fantastic achievement.
When the news of it was told by Paul, the whole of the Jazz Café gave a thundering round of applause. Brilliant!!!!!

Now for the Jam Session.

The session opened with the house trio of Bradley Johnson (guitar); Paul Grainger (bass), and Rob Walker (drums)  once again setting a very high bar with Polka Dots and Moonbeams, Love For Sale, and How Insensitive.
Bradley displaying once again that it doesn’t get much better than that. Absolutely wonderful guitar playing backed by a more than able Bass and Drums.


This was followed by George Sykes' full sounding tenor playing On the Sunny Side of the Street, and Their Will Never Be Another Ewe (as the love-struck sheep said)' Apologies for that.
The mellow tones of Neville Hartley (yes jamming again on trombone!) joining George for the latter number. Neville then followed with a beautiful version of Body and Soul a big favorite of mine.

Time for the vocalists now and on came Debra Milne giving two very nice renditions of Caravan and You Go   To My Head, accompanied by Hazem Mohammed on drums  with Bradley and a very able new comer on Bass called Lewis ? (but did not get his surname)

Next vocalist was Kyira Ki, a student in the City, who maintained the high standard set by all this evening, beautifully singing two more of my favorite tunes - Theme from Black Orpheus and Lullaby of Birdland. She was a first timer at the jam session lets hope she isn't too long in coming back. 

The jam session would not be complete without Niffi Osiyemi giving us wonderful versions of Love Me or Leave Me and Gee Baby ain't I Good To You. Always a pleasure to hear Niffi!

One musician who always seems to set alight the Jam Session (with respect to all the other musicians) came on next and that was David (Showtime) Gray on trombone. He was joined by Marcus on Piano, George Sykes on Tenor and Hazem Mohammed on drums and it was  lift off with a very rhythmic full sounding version of Red Clay and an extremely funky (for want of a better word) tune called Tutu (Simplified) .A tune I had never heard of but suspect it was a self composition because David was handing sheet music out before they played it. Fortunately the roof remained on the Jazz Café but only just despite the difficulty of not quite getting to a suitable ending in unison.

Neville Hartley joined the lineup once again on Take the A Train with his mellow tones complementing David's playing (and visa versa of course), with wonderful solos by all.

The session ended with Misty played by Neville and David on trombone.  A delightful rendition with the exchanges between them to be savoured.

Yet again another fantastic Jam Session at the Jazz Café. Upholding the fact that we as a listener are very lucky in the north east to have so many great musicians here.

 Ron A.
Please note that Paul Grainger announced that future jam sessions are now being held in 'The Black Swan' starting 30th October 2018. From what I understand the Jazz Café is going to be run by the people who currently have the 'Prohibition Bar' relocating.
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1 comment :

Lance said...

Thanks Ron - you've got the job!

Wednesday, October 17, 2018 11:50:00 am

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