Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17755 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 76 of them this year alone and, so far, 1 this month (Feb.1).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 08: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’.
Sat 08: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra event. All welcome.

Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

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

Tuesday, November 06, 2018

Curtis Stigers @ Sage Gateshead - Nov. 5

Curtis Stigers (vocals/tenor); John 'Scrapper' Sneider (trumpet); Robin Aspland (piano); Cliff Schmitt (bass); Paul Wells (drums).
(Review by Lance/photo from BSH archives).
There are two views when it comes to a Stigers gig. Some say he offers variety whilst others claim he has too many hats and not enough heads!
The evidence suggests that both factions are right which may be why the latter opinionists stayed away for this wasn't the best attended of the 3 or 4 Stigers' concerts I've seen. I remember that at one of his earlier concerts a girl sitting next to me said to her boyfriend "I hope he isn't going to sing jazz all night." He didn't so, presumably, she went home satisfied.

Let's look at those hats.
1) Stigers the rocker.
2) Stigers the jazzman.
3) Stigers the singer of show tunes on 'The Proms'.
4) Stigers the crooner.

With the exception of no. 3 he more or less ticked all of the boxes,
His early hits were given the standard recognition of opening bars applause.
He blew some fine walkin' the bar, Big Easy style, tenor and his running mates were no slouches either - more of those relatively unsung heroes later.
He mercifully stayed away from the show tunes which brings us to Stigers the crooner.

His latest CD was recorded live with the Danish Radio Big Band and was a recreation of the legendary Sinatra/Basie at the Sands sessions and I think many (Team Bebop included) expected we were going to get more of the same as it was his current CD. In retrospect, how could we have been so naive as to expect a two-piece frontline to replicate the guys from Copenhagen let alone the full might of Basie's band!
As it was, he sang Fly me to the Moon from the album and it was ok.

Other gassers included an impressive rendition of My Funny Valentine - unlike most Valentiners he injected some powerful dynamics into this most maudlin of songs. Hooray For Love reminded us that Yip Harburg wrote some good songs, You Don't Know What Love is was suitably poignant and Bye Bye Blackbird swung us into the Randy Newman encore. 

Contemporary material included pieces by Tom Waites, Bob Dylan, Mose Allison, Willie Dixon and the Randy Newman tear jerker to close.

However, for me, the highlights were Stigers' earthy tenor,  Robin Aspland's piano, drummer Wells' solos and support, the effective bass/vocal moments and the unlikely named Scrapper Schneider on trumpet. Closing my eyes, I was hearing Roy Hargrove again - the same clear sound. Paradoxically, 'Scrapper' is from Brockton, Mass, the same city that undefeated heavyweight champ, the late Rocky Marciano, came from. Perhaps that's how he got the name! Scrapper may never make The Ring ratings but he sure deserves to be in the DownBeat ones.

The standing ovation at the end was probably deserved and, although I didn't stand up myself, I did applaud heartily.
Lance. 

No comments :

Blog Archive