Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18897 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 761 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 11.) 40.

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

September.

Mon 14: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 17: Front Porch Blues @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 17: Miles 100 @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. Jack Courtney (trumpet); Sue Ferris (tenor sax); Tom Atkinson (guitar); Alan Law (piano); Deon Krishnan (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums). A night of Miles Davis.
Thu 17: Amphitrio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £7.00. Andrei Petrache (piano); Mike Alex (double bass); Philip Goron (drums).

Fri 18: Danny Lownes’ Hot Club @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Mark Williams Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 18: Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00., £5.00. student.
Fri 18: Rivkala + Beccy Sloan @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.
Sat 19: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner: Nina Simone. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 19: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.

Monday, October 22, 2018

Middlesbrough Jazz Weekender 2018: Sunday afternoon in the Crypt - Printmakers.

Printmakers: Nikki Iles (piano); Norma Winstone (voice); Mark Lockheart (tenor); Mike Walker (guitar); Steve Watts (bass); James Maddren (drums).
(Review by Lance/ Photo of Nikki & Norma courtesy of Russell).
To think I almost missed this one! Printmakers? mmm, Printmakers! OMG (or words to that effect) Nikki Iles, Norma Winstone and co. I'm going senile - I'd ticked it under Nikki, or was it Norma, or was it both? Printmakers, I thought, was, well, maybe about printmaking?
Fortunately, my senior moment passed and I enjoyed this set as much as anything other than the MBB.
To quote a long forgotten song, Nikki has That Certain Smile a smile that immediately brings you into her aura and, when she plays, you realise she has plenty to smile about - 1000 ships? That's nothing! 
Norma Winstone has been around longer than most of today's other singers but you wouldn't think it. The night previous she'd been playing a gig in Leipzig yet jetlag was still catching up on her!
She sounded as good as ever.
On tenor, Lockheart has a refreshingly Getzian approach - reminding us all that it didn't begin and end with Trane but that lyricism still has a place although, like the latterday Stan, Mark can put the boot in when the occasion demands it.
Mike Walker is a long established name on the modern/contemporary guitar scene and his solos were perfect for this band.
Steve Watts did the bass duties well whilst James Maddren is one of those drummers who you only notice when he's not on the gig - which isn't very often irrespective of the genre!
And of course, Nikki - just love her.
The material was exquisite: Foxy Trot (Kenny Wheeler); Stars (Fred Hersch); The Glide (Ralph Towner); Two Grey Rooms (Joni Mitchell); Tideway (Iles/Winstone). A blast on Just in Time where Norma played Ella in her scat vocal routine and maybe even won! And... The Heather on the Hill. The best ever version of this rarely played, at a jazz gig, song from Brigadoon.
What a day this has been...
Lance.
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive