Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (DownBeat May, 2026)

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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

From This Moment On

May

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Tony Irving & Massimo Magee @ The Globe - Jan 28

Tony Irving (drums); Massimo Magee (soprano & tenor sax)
(Review by Russell) 

It was billed on the Jazz Co-op's website as 'Tony Irving & Massimo Magee & Guests...seven o'clock'. In the event, the 'guests' failed to materialise and for a while your correspondent was the only bod on the premises, save for Jazz Co-op mover and shaker, Debra M. 

At quarter past eight, as Irving and Magee were about to begin (yep, an hour and a quarter after the advertised seven o'clock start - or should that have been 'doors'?) some of the usual suspects (they're rarely seen at 'jazz' gigs) had arrived, no doubt ready for some 'no-genre' music. Saxophonist Magee spoke briefly: drummer Irving would open the first set with a solo piece, Magee would follow with a solo piece of his own, then there would be a duo second set. For the remainder of the evening, neither Magee nor Irving said another word. Cool.

A drum solo, sorry, 'improvisation', took up fifteen minutes of our time followed by a similar span of time featuring Magee's circular breathing, uncomfortably pitched soprano sax workout. Technique to burn, Magee's approach owed something to the 'fire music' first heard more than half a century ago. 

The interval: a cassette tape (hey, kids, Google 'DIY underground retro music format') was for sale, bottles of Black Sheep were for sale at the bar. 

Second set - Irving and Magee served up some more free improv 'no-genre' stuff. No eye contact required, nor possible with Magee standing in front of drummer Magee, the men of few words let their improvisations do the talking.       
Russell

5 comments :

Debra Milne said...

Apologies for the inaccurate start time Russell, although it did state 7.30pm on the FB event page. I think it's worth noting that the Jazz Bar at The Globe was full (I had to relinquish my seat behind the bar) and Tony & Massimo chatted to many in the audience between sets. Clearly not Russell's gig of the year, but well received by many who were there.

Gavin said...

You think he'd be impressed that Magee managed to stand in front of himself playing drums. It is a shame they stuck to playing & didn't perform the standup routines they're renowned for.

Russell said...

Well spotted Gavin. Clearly Bebop Spoken Here could do with a proof reader!

Steve T said...

Cassettes are the new vinyls.

Anonymous said...

For those who would like to hear for themselves, the bulk of this performance forms part of an upcoming new album, available for pre-order now from New York's 577 Records: http://www.577records.com/5835

Blog Archive