Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,066 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 930 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 31) 109.

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

November

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: An Evening of Erykah Badu @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 7:30pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Cut Capers @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).
Thu 05: Northern Reaches @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Pete Tanton, Joe Steels, Laurence Blackadder, John Hirst.
Thu 05: Fergus McCreadie @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 06: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 1/3.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Jazz Night: Bridget Metcalfe @ Saltburn House Hotel. From 6:00pm. Tickets: £40.00 (inc. a two-course meal & glass of Prosecco). Tel: 01287 658977.
Fri 06: The Exu + Kraabel/Harrison/Birchall @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Sat 07: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Ewan Bleach’s Cable Street Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington.
12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Superb band.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Find Your Pocket: Funk & Groove. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café, St James’ Retail Park, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 6:00pm.

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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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