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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

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

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Birthday Party @ Cullercoats Crescent Club with the Vieux Carré Jazzmen - Jan 11

Jim McBriarty (soprano sax, clarinet, vocals); Lawrence McBriarty (trombone); Brian Bennett (banjo); Bill Colledge (bass); Feed Thompson (drums, vocals) + John Brumwell (vocals) + Harmonica Kings: Dan Burrows & Mike Jamieson (harmonica, vocals) 
(Review by Russell)

An invitation to Dan's birthday party was readily accepted. The likelihood of a buffet was an attraction as was the prospect of a band being booked for the occasion. On learning that the band would be none other than the Vieux Carré Jazzmen it fell to your correspondent to pen a review.

Cullercoats Crescent Club's ground floor, sea view lounge filled up nicely - family, friends, liggers - as bar staff laid out a sumptuous buffet. Yes, a good decision to get along to wish Dan well then tuck in. But wait...first a beer. The Old Potting Shed's Legally Blonde from High Spen the pick, a glance at the buffet - YUM! - then to the jazz. 


Young Dan is in the prime of life and, as we would later hear, he'd been in the woodshed honing his skills harpin' on a riff. It would be stretching it a bit to suggest the Vieux Carré were in the first flush of youth, but the one thing they have in abundance is an enthusiasm for the music. The McBriartys - Jim and Lawrence - formed the front line with the VCJ's rhythm makers - Messrs Bennett, Colledge and Thompson - occupying every last centimetre of the compact stage.    

From Earl Hines' My Monday Date (McBriarty, J, playing soprano) to Walkin' My Baby Back Home (McBriarty, J, singing) to Ballin' the Jack (singing drummer Fred Thompson singing) to a feature for McBriarty, L, that's 'bone man Lawrence, on Memories of You, this was typical Vieux Carré. 

MC Brian Bennett kept things moving along and before long some of Dan's guests would be up shaking their thing. Bye Bye Blackbird didn't get them onto the floor, nor Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider, these were tunes to sing along to. Talking of cider...another Legally Blonde, thank you. 

As the Vieux Carré went to the bar to sink a well-earned half of shandy, birthday boy Dan took centre stage. Harmonica in hand, Dan played and sang first Blaydon Races with vocal accompaniment from the room, then When the Saints (Go Marchin' In) with Dan's backing singers offering their full support. 

As if Dan's surprise performance wasn't enough, up stepped Mike Jamieson! A man who knows his jazz and rhythm 'n' blues onions, Mike blew harp and hollered as if an American bluesman. You could hear Little Walter applauding from Blues Heaven as MJ really did hit on Blues with a Feeling and, as Mike observed, perhaps the sole blues number in praise of fidelity, My Babe. Between times, Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez offered a nice contrast with Mike at pains to point out that he played this one on chromatic harp.

A paper plate-full of buffet delights, a chat with Lawrence, playing this evening's gig hot foot from a week in Scarborough, then on to the second set. Irving Berlin's Always (Jim McBriarty singing), My Honey's Lovin' Arms (a first request of the evening) featuring McBriarty, vocals and soprano sax, taken at a jaunty tempo, then an oddity, by way of a second request...Ralph McTell's Streets of London. The Quintette du Hot Club de France put in an appearance with Rose Room then, all the way from Oz, courtesy of ex-pat Don Armstrong, Jack O'Hagan's Along the Road to Gundagai as sung by Peter Dawson, here at the Crescent club crooned by Jim McBriarty. Well, this was varied fayre and, following a short interval, the VCJ would return one more time.

John Brumwell joined the party to enquire: Who's Sorry Now? Good value is Mr Brumwell, so much so he enticed a fair few onto the dance floor. MC Bennett complimented those brave enough to shake their thing, suggesting they were a throwback to Pan's People (check out Top of the Pops, kids). Quick as a flash, the self-deprecating lot that they were quipped: Pan's Pensioners! They said it!

Singing drummer Fred Thompson crooned When the Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves for Alabam' and that was about it save for an ice cream...after all, we were down at the coast. To be precise, Ice Cream... all together now: I scream, you scream        
Russell

1 comment :

Mike Jamieson said...

Just to explain: At was essentially a jazz event I played my harmonica version of the classical Concierto de Aranjuez because it was the basis and inspiration for the Mile Davis Sketches of Spain theme.

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