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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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, March 25, 2019

Jason Isaacs @ Hoochie Coochie - March 24











(Review/PHOTOS by Lance).

Hoochie was sold out - it usually is when Jason brings his band into town - the audience loves him,  and what's not to love? Sinatra, Dean, Elvis you name it he covers it and, with a 9 piece band behind him it's just fantastic.

She gets too hungry for dinner at eight. Rodgers and Hart in a Sunday afternoon disco bar! What's more, it was as if two of the most prolific songwriters of the pre-crap era had never been away. Lady is a Tramp. Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown put the boot in and we were dancing, shaking, doing things that they don't do on Broadway. Let There be Love, J boy reminded us it was Nat Cole's centenary making reference to the original Shearing recording, reminding the Toon Army that Shearing and Shearer were two different artists. 
One was blind who never failed to score (Lullaby of Birdland etc.) The other wasn't blind and sometimes did fail to score...

On the Street Where You Live then, That's Life. This was, indeed, life. We threw our arms in the air, sang/shouted the responses. Jason may have been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate A poet, a pawn and a king but, tonight he was definitely the latter.

You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves you; Come Fly With Me; Mr. Bojangles; King of the Road; Beyond the Sea; Minnie the Moocher and, wait for it, American Trilogy. Now, in previous gigs I have indicated that this was maybe not my favourite number so, what does Jason do? He gives the crowd a plug for Bebop Spoken Here! - now, I almost like  American Trilogy! I'm Trumped on that one.

Mack the Knife brought the first set to a close. Glasses were re-charged, dancing shoes at the ready and we were back into Ocean's Eleven for Ain't That a Kick in the Head; Cheek to Cheek and Sway

At this point in the show, the jazzier element gives way to the rockier, poppier side of Jason's repertoire but, not without his regular tenor duel with Lewis Watson on You're Indestructible on which Jason invariably acknowledges defeat although he's no mean saxman himself. For the return match, to make it a level playing field, perhaps Lew could sing...

It was a fantastic early evening gig in a great club. Thanks to 'Slim' Warren for putting on such a great singer/band - and they are great. Within their ranks are some of the area's finest jazz guys - even the deps are first-call so maybe, an occasional solo wouldn't have gone amiss.
Lance.
PHOTOS

Jason Isaacs (vocal/tenor sax); Lewis Watson, Niall Armstrong (reeds); David Gray (trombone); Mark Webb, Darren Irwin (trumpets); Dean Stockdale (piano); Neil Harland (bass guitar); Simon Ferry (drums).

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