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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00. CANCELLED!

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: David Gray's Flextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’.
Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

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, October 24, 2018

Julian Costello Quartet @ The Globe October 21

Julian Costello (ten, sop saxes); Maciek Pysz (guitar); Michele Tacchi (bass guitar); Adam Teixeira (drums). (Canada).
(Review by Steve H/Photo by Debra M) 
Normally, this isn’t the sort of gig I would attend; my preferred option being for a more improvised, freer, kind of jazz. Fortunately, I decided to put my music prejudices aside, took a punt and made my way to The Globe on Sunday night. I was more than rewarded for my gay abandon as this splendid international quartet delivered a highly enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining performance.

For the first set, the band featured their latest album Transitions. As the title suggests, this consisted of one uninterrupted piece with each tune segueing seamlessly into the next. The second set consisted of several tunes including a song named after a cheese although this was not of the blues variety but rather the Greek (Halloumi).
Costello is an affable character strutting about the stage like a string puppet and at one point even performing a bit of mime. Equally proficient on both tenor and soprano his compositions are very melodic yet still always interesting.
(Photo courtesy of Steve H)
A lot of the music had a folksy, European, worldly twist to it but, given the multinational flavour of the band, this is unsurprising. An Englishman, a Pole an Italian and a Canadian walk into a jazz bar the Barman asks ‘what’s it going to be?’   they order  Gin, Vodka, Grappa and Canadian Club respectively the Barman then asks ‘how would you like them?’ the band reply in unison  Straight no Chaser.

Italian bassist Tacchi’s playing was absolutely superb and I particularly enjoyed his quiet, subtle, solos. Polish guitarist Pysz was fantastic every single solo of his was a joy. Keeping it all together was the unflashy but very classy Canadian drummer Teixeira. It was clearly evident that the ensemble’s great enjoyment of playing together was mutual and their enthusiasm certainly spilled over to the very appreciative audience. A really top quality evening and I thoroughly recommend everyone to catch this band wherever and whenever they can.
Steve H.

1 comment :

Julian Costello (on F/b). said...

Thank you Steve for a great review and lovely to meet you.

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