Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

September.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Tue 22: ???

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 24: Arun Ghosh @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £21.05. (£22.00. on the door). A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 24: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 25: Mark Williams Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Get the Blessing + Dilettante @ The Cluny (Cluny 2), Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00. + bf. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 25: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 26: Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter: Play Mary Lou Williams @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 26: John Pope Quintet + Urvashi @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.40. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Friday, February 15, 2019

Svarc, Hanley, Longhawn @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall - Feb 15

Nik Svarc (guitar); Steve Hanley (drums); Martin Longhawn (organ)
(Review by Russell)

It was a warm, blue sky Friday in County Durham with Bishop Auckland looking at its best. The Town Hall's café/bar performance space accommodated a near-capacity lunchtime audience for the visit of Svarc, Hanley and Longhawn. 

The Leeds-based trio of Nik Svarc, guitar, Steve Hanley, drums, and Martin Longhawn, organ, arrived in good time, pulling up outside Bishop Auckland Town Hall, off-loading and setting up with the minimum of fuss - true pros are SHL. There Will Never be Another You opened the one hour programme. A familiar tune, for sure, but in the hands of SHL they're apt to take a good look at it, take it apart and skillfully put it back together again.
Longhawn's Larry's Groiner (from the new album SHL 2) hit on a Hammond groove and didn't let go as Svarc referenced Sco and Frisell along the way. Carla Bley's Lawns served as the day's ballad - exquisite playing all round with Svarc all but making his Telecaster sing. Bloogie (another cut from the new album) fairly 'bloogied' along. The trio's arrangement of a standard is a strength (one of many!) and Seven Steps to Heaven was masterful - the head in there somewhere (they got to it eventually!), Longhawn brewing up a storm with, perhaps, a fleeting reference to Singin' in the Rain encouraging Svarc and Hanley to up their game with yet more blistering top drawer work.

As the two o'clock finish approached Svarc thanked Hanley and Longhawn for their sterling efforts and took time to acknowledge promoter Mick Shoulder for making possible today's concert. In suggesting that members of the audience were welcome to get up and dance, SHL went out on Kool from John Scofield's 1995 Groove Elation album. It had been an afternoon of top-class modern to contemporary jazz.
Russell.  
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive