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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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ 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. CANCELLED!

Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Only Six Standards.
Thu 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Fri 18: Alexia Gardner @ Fika Gallery, Oldgate, Morpeth NE61 1LT. 7:00pm. Trio (Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy).RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13

Fri 18: Sarah Jane Morris & Tony Remy: The Sisterhood @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00.

Sat 19: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 19: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Vermont Big Band @ Cullercoats Crescent Club - October 13

(Review by Russell)   
Six and two, 62, all the threes, 33, top of the shop, blind 90, legs, 11…house!  There isn’t anything quite like a game of bingo down the club especially if you’re waiting on one number. Oh, well, better luck next time. In between the flyer and the main house, the sounds of a big band broke out in the upstairs concert room of the Crescent Club in Cullercoats.

The Vermont Big Band made a return visit to Cullercoats having played a successful concert during the summer months. The band’s MD, Chris Kaberry, must have been a happy man when he surveyed the scene – Saturday evening, a full house, who said the big band era was of yesteryear? No fewer than six saxophones, a regulation four strong trumpet section, a mere three trombones, piano, bass and drums, and a band vocalist. Two swinging sets of forties’ big band tunes, the popular hits of the day with one or two 24 carat selections from the jazz canon.

MD Kaberry will be known to some from his tenure in the Customs House Big Band, although on this occasion he restricted himself to waving his metaphorical baton. In the Mood got the show underway (think positively it got the tune out of the way nice and early), Sweet Georgia Brown (that’s more like it), ah! say hello to Vermont’s singer, Ms Beth Tippins, joining the orchestra to belt out At Last. Tippins, shoe-less, stayed on for another - You Do Something to Me - before vacating the stage for the first of several big-hitting instrumentals featuring drummer Calum Montgomery on a spirited take on Caravan.

Pennsylvania 6-5000 (hey, it’s a good ‘un, admit it!), followed up by a chart the Ray Chester Big Band must have played thousands of times - Little Brown Jug. Youthful Peter Elliott, playing tenor, grabbed the lion’s share of the solos, although others in the sections did chip in from time to time. Vocalist Tippins returned to the stage and by now was finding her range singing I Get a Kick Out of You and Time After Time. The first set drew to a close with Montgomery drumming up the proverbial on Sing, Sing, Sing.

Band members made a dash…to the bar, the gents, the ladies (six in the sections), some venturing outside to take the (balmy) air. Meanwhile, a hush descended on a still crowded concert room as the main house bingo got underway. Six and two, 62 etc. No luck, what’s new?

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy rallied the troops as the second half got underway. The dancers (lindy, ballroom, other) took to the floor – Night and Day (not quite Fred & Ginger out there on the floor but full marks for effort), Tuxedo Junction (and Dutch courage fuelled by a Cullercoats’ cocktail or two) tempted a few more couples, the evening continued to swing along. A Night in Tunisia challenged the trumpets, and, all things considered, they acquitted themselves well. Cheek to Cheek sang shoe-less Beth, later to give way to the boys and girls of the orchestra on Jumpin’ at the Woodside. The band won an encore - The Lady is a Tramp - and MD Kaberry was well prepared for a further encore with a second ‘spare’ in the pad in the shape of String of Pearls. Cullercoats Crescent Club on a Saturday evening, a full house, a canny night out, they’re sure to do it again.          
Russell.

Chris Kaberry (MD); Mike Graham, Steve Crockett, Wendy Innes, Kate Brown (trumpets); Jamie Smith, John Flood, Colin Winship (trombones); Felicity Ripley, Katharine Loughney, Ben Gibbon (alto sax), Peter Elliott), Alan Marshall (tenor sax), Russell Rogers (baritone sax); Caitlin Pang (keyboards); James Thompson (bass guitar); Calum Montgomery (drums); Beth Tippins (vocals).

1 comment :

Chris Kaberry said...

Next gig is at Holy Saviours Parish Hall on 2nd March 2019. 8pm start.

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