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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

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

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Jam Session @ The Dun Cow - Nov. 14

James Harrison (keys); Paul Grainger (bass); Russ Morgan (drums) + Roly Veitch (guitar); John Rowland (tenor); Ray Burns (harmonica/vocal); Dawn Furness (vocal).
(Review by Lance).
Another night, another jam, another fun-packed evening? Well er, yes... How could it not be with the effervescent James Harrison at the keyboard? Add Messrs Grainger and Harrison and you have the foundation to build a multi-storey and there was a multitude of musical stories to tell from tonight's players.

A rhapsodic Oh Lady Be Good followed by a fiery Latin piece called, I think, Obsession got the ball rolling and all three were up for it. I'd already lost count of the quotes James had pulled out of the air. Things Ain't What They Used to be; Moanin' and Stompin' at the Savoy, just some of the ephemeral moments that flashed by - American Patrol and Ornithology also figured in some later numbers.

Roly plugged in, switched on and kicked off with East of the Sun, All the Things You Are and, later, Darn That Dream, exquisitely played with sympathetic accompaniment. 

Next up, John Rowland, inscrutable as ever, blew some booting tenor on Come Rain or Come Shine (with the inevitable quote from a certain Gene Kelly movie) and How High the Moon.

Misty seemed to be drawing to a balladic close when, from out of left field, Ray Burns appeared and sang, without a mic, the words to the Erroll Garner classic and, for good measure, threw in a couple of choruses on harmonica à la Toots Thielmans.

A surprise appearance by jazz coloratura Dawn Furness gave Basin St. Blues a workout as well as redefining Bye Bye Blackbird - nice one. More mouthie from Ray - miked up this time.

There Will Never Be Another You and a rollicking Roly's Blues kept things stomping along and the grand finale had just about everyone in the mix. 

I may have got the running order wrong and omitted a tune or two but my notes were in my shirt pocket and I put my shirt in the wash this morning (it's that time of year) so everything is written from memory. My apologies if I've missed out any highlights in an evening jam-packed with highlights which also included a beautiful Georgia on my Mind by James and a 'Hit him in the slats Bob' drum solo from Russ*.
Lance.
*Legend has it that, during the course of the world title fight between Jim Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897, Fitzsimmons' wife cried out for her husband, who was behind on points, to 'Hit him in the slats Bob' which he duly did and thus went on to win the fight and the title.

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