



Lance.
PHOTOS
For the past seventeen years we've been updating the world about jazz in the north east of England and updating the north east of England about jazz in the world. WINNER of the Jazz Media Category in the 2018 All Party Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Contact lanceliddle@gmail.com
April 2025.
Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ 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: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
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: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.
Sat 26: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington. 12 noon. Free (donations).
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.
Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Tue 29: ???
6 comments :
I don’t normally respond to reviews, as music is in the ear of the behearer etc, and especially not on the (normally) authoritative regional phenomenon which is BSH…… However, I feel I must in this instance, as my experience of the Herskedal gig was so much at odds with Lance’s verdict of “soporific”. My verdict is that this was the gig of the (great!) year so far, and is shared with the party of 6 I took along, ranging in age across five decades, and familiarity with jazz from neophyte to aficionado. If Lance had stayed until the end perhaps he would have seen the rest of the audience were wide awake as well, judging by their ovation!
Herskedal’s band were truly outstanding, playing original and groundbreaking music of epic and majestic proportion, which remained accessible, listenable and in many places downright tuneful, drawing seamlessly on classical, folk and jazz (whatever that is ...). Maybe Lance was looking for a giant of the tenor to take the stage and blow us apart, but this had variety, dynamics to spare, and a regularly achieved climactic energy which had the audience bouncing. Herskedal has re-defined the tuba as lead and accompanying instrument, but this virtuousity was borne lightly, with no ego or pretentiousness – all subsumed within a delightful collective humility and humour, framed in his acclaimed, third, through-composed album. The level of musicality and ambition from all four players was remarkable, with heart-rending emotion, along with extraordinary tastefulness, delicacy and interplay. These are leading international musicians, defining their own take on contemporary music, riding a tidal wave of Scandinavian jazz sweeping Europe (if not BSH!).
Herskedal is the latest in the Sage’s Spring jazz season, standing in this year for the Festival. I am finding it a better means of bringing top bands to the North East - frankly we are punching above our weight this year, with international stars like Herskedal, Tigran and Phronesis, with Kamasi Washington to come - I bet he will succeed in keeping Lance awake! In Tigran’s case, I was almost moved to respond to Ann Alex’s also underwhelming review. My take (and that of a contingent of students from Leeds College of Music I facilitated) on that concert was that I felt privileged to attend, in my own back yard or anywhere: as Herbie Hancock says “Now, Tigran, you are my teacher”.
So, in conclusion, I love and appreciate the work Lance and his tireless reviewers carry out on BSH, informing, reporting and supporting the remarkable wealth of jazz throughout the great North East – this is vital work to encourage and facilitate regional artists and audiences. But underwhelming and unrepresentative reviews such as those recently for Herskedal and Tigran do not only the artists a disservice, but also the audiences. Such reviews do nothing to encourage new listeners to try something different to the (rightly) venerated GASbook, or for promoters like the Sage to continue their ambitious and risky policy of bringing major jazz stars here to our little corner of the country.
Anyway, keep up the good work, but please let’s hear some more enthusiastic voices cheering on these new masters!
Chris Kilsby
Thank you Chris for your comment and let me hasten to say that I totally respect your views. It's always difficult trying to weigh up the objective against the subjective. However, any honest reviewer can only record his/her reactions to what they hear. I fully appreciated the musicality of the musicians concerned but, for me, it lacked that vital spark. I realised that I was in the minority and, yes, I would have loved a tenor giant to take to the stage. However, isn't that what music/art is all about - to say what you feel and not what you ought to feel?
Over the years, I have been totally supportive of Sage Gateshead and will continue to do so, although I'm sure they know that I don't just 'follow the party line' they do know that most of the time I do.
Possibly I'm in the wrong job which I obviously was last Saturday. Problem is, finding horses for courses. Jazz and its spinoffs are such a varied field that the 'one man's meat...' adage is ever present.
Unfortunately, at the moment, our review team seems to be somewhat decimated and whilst Russell and I try to cover as much as we can we are always open to new contributors. The recent review by Iain Kitt on the Maja Bugge gig in the Victoria Tunnel was most welcome and if you, yourself, Chris, fancy contributing reviews of future gigs or CDs (which I will happily send to you) then I'd be pleased to welcome you, or any other more enthusiastic voices aboard.
PS: Thank you also for the kind words re BSH.I've now added some terrific photos of the gig from Ken Drew who, incidentally, sides with you.
Having differing opinions is why we have such diversity of music out there - if we all liked the same stuff there would be a much more narrow spectrum of musical styles. For what it's worth I found Paul Taylor to be soporific what with his endless runs up and down the piano with odd bit of delay here and there; whereas Daniel Herskedal’s performance for me was deeply original, pastoral and evocative. I'm glad though that there's something for everyone and that we can have differing emotional responses to the music.
I like the cognitive dissonance between the disingenuous condescension towards the "diversity of music out there" and the gratuitously banal critique of "endless runs up and down the piano". "Soporific"? Keeps me awake, at least.
Apologies Paul, your comment was inadvertently deleted. Now, hopefully, restored. Certainly, when I used the term "Soporific" it wasn't directed at you but at the headline act. I've also discovered the reason for Faye's delayed appearance - the girls a star and a tribute to the motto - The show must go on. Hope everything works out ok for her.
Paul Taylor: Steinway Piano and Virus TI synthesiser.
Live performance at Sage Gateshead, March 23rd 2019.
Part Two.
Recorded and produced by Paul Taylor
https://paulstephentaylor.bandcamp.com/track/oneiric-part-two
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