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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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. 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

Monday, December 17, 2018

Paul Edis Trio: Blaydon Jazz Club's Christmas Party @ The Black Bull - Dec 16

Paul Edis (piano, vocals); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums) + Roly Veitch (guitar, vocals); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); James Birkett (guitar); Zoë Gilby (vocals)
(Review by Russell/PHOTOS courtesy of Jerry.)



The annual Blaydon Jazz Club Christmas Party, specifically the DIY buffet, long ago acquired mythical status. Down the decades - yes, Blaydon Jazz Club is well into its fourth decade! - the December concert has become a much-loved affair. This year's festive musical offering came in the form of the Paul Edis Trio...and guests. 

Santa Claus is coming to (Blaydon) Town with Monkish bop overtones opened the party. Every time your scribe hears the trio he concludes that they - Edis, Andy Champion and Russ Morgan - would more than hold their own at any of NYC's famous jazz clubs. Last night's performance at the Black Bull did nothing to dispel this view. 

Snakes and Ladders (comp. Edis), Speak Low (comp. K Weill, lyrics O. Nash) with Edis' vocals, then a reworked Jambone chart - Wise Words (comp. Edis) - with pianist and composer Edis singing once again, this was Christmas party entertainment of the highest order.     

Blaydon Jazz Club supremo Roly Veitch (guitar) joined the party, clearly taking delight in working with such a decent backing trio! Similarly Graham Hardy (trumpet and flugelhorn) stepped up and later in the evening friend of Blaydon Jazz Club, master guitarist James Birkett would borrow Veitch's guitar to play Lover Man

Edis and Veitch opened the second set as a duo with their take, featuring Veitch's vocals, on Ray Noble's The Touch of Your Lips. This number, perhaps more than any other, encapsulated Blaydon's enduring commitment to the Great American Songbook. Whiskers (comp. Edis) encapsulated the (NYC!) brilliance of the Paul Edis Trio. Swinging like nobody's business, piano, bass and drums took it in turn to lay down stupendous solos with drummer Morgan delivering a brushwork masterclass into the bargain. 

Blaydon Jazz Club's audience thoroughly enjoyed an evening of top class jazz, and, it should be said, made light work of a gargantuan buffet. It was good to see former Early Birder and Sage Gateshead BMus students (graduate and undergraduate) enjoying a night out. As they listened to the PE3 perhaps they were thinking: One day that could be me...

To close a star-studded evening the Straight No Chaser encore featured the vocals of none other than Zoë Gilby. A pub in Blaydon-on-Tyne presenting world-class jazz...eat yer heart out, NYC!  
Russell.

1 comment :

JERRY said...

Sorry, Russell, I don't remember vocals on SPEAK LOW -which is a shame as, having learnt from this review that they were penned by Ogden Nash, I'd have liked to hear them. I would mention the vocals on IT TAKES TIME which were very Randy Newman and also those on SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN (neither Dinah Washington nor Sinatra, but very smooth and mellow-toned indicating clearly the progress Paul has made in this department).
JERRY

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