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Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17838 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 159of them this year alone and, so far, 6 this month (March 3).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: The Jazz Music of Quincy Jones.
Thu 06: BBC Big Band @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. £32.00., £25.00., £16.00. ‘The Sound of Cinema’ featuring Emer McPartland (vocals).
Thu 06: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 06: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Guests: Dan Johnson (sax); Josh Bentham (sax); Gary Hadfield (keys); Adrian Beadnell (bass). A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Old Lowlight, Clifford’s Fort, North Shields NE30 1JE. 7:00pm. £15.00. + bf. www.oldlowlight.co.uk. Rescheduled from Friday 7th February.
Fri 07: Jake Leg Jug Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.

Sat 08: Jamie Taylor, Graham Harvey, Andy Champion @ Divinity House Concert Hall, Palace Green Music Dept., Durham University. 7:00-9:00pm (6:30pm doors). £7.50. (£6.00. DUJS member). ‘An Evening of Jazz’. Later in the evening the trio will be joined by Freddie Krone, drums (Durham Uni final year music student).
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lagos to Longbenton @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Afrobeat, jazz-fusion.

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Wokitoki @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Tom Atkinson (drums, guitar); Sue Ferris (sax, flute); Jude Murphy (bass guitar, flute). Jazz standards, bebop, free jazz, Latin & more. Upstairs.
Sun 09: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Downstairs.
Sun 09: Zhenya Strigalev’s 2025 Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club.

Tues 11: Solea @ Earthlings, the Healing Café, 94 Buckingham St., Newcastle, NE4 5QR. 7:00-8:45pm. Food available if ordered before 6:30pm. New band: Johannes Dalhuijsen (tenor sax, bass clarinet); Richard Herdman (guitar); Nick Bagnall (bass guitar); John Hirst (drums).
Tue 11: Giles Strong Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

The Bold Big Band @ the Dun Cow, Jesmond - March 26

(Review/PHOTOS by Lance),

Wow! This is a band!! It's just over 12 months to the day since last I heard them during which time, as with any predominantly student based outfits, there have been changes. However, as in all walks of life, nobody's indispensable and the new ensemble delivered with style and grace.

Jimmy Jefford, the previous MD, got the best out of the band leading from the front and throwing in some killer solos. Simon Hirst, the current MD is less flamboyant but equally effective and, if you wanted killer solos then Jordan Alfonso, James Cuxson and Tom Alcorn were the foremost assassins, although most of the others weren't far behind.

Apart from the soloists, the sections were tight with no noticeable jagged edges. Every modern big band these days has a wadge of Gordon Goodwin arrangements in the pad and the Bold Big Band is no exception. His Count Bubba had some precision playing by the individual sections as well as a sizzler of a solo from Alfonso. 

Brass Machine saw all three trumpets trading choruses bringing Ellington's Trumpet No End to mind. Nutville, from the pen of Horace Silver, had new drummer Joe Reid working out. Impressive. Surprisingly, Work Song was pure ensemble.

Osiyemi is fast becoming an established name on the local vocal scene. Niffi is knocking just about everyone out at her trio gigs and brother Ifede who, when not playing bass guitar with this band, is out front singing standards. L-O-V-E; Lady is a Tramp; Way You Look Tonight and Mack the Knife are tonight's numbers and they were performed well although volume could have been turned up a bit more.

Other numbers included C Jam Blues with trombone from Bertie Marks, tenor from Alexis Cairns  - who also provided the personnel info - and alto from David Johnson. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy introduced Sam Fox and, being a Buddy Rich chart, Joe Reid on drums - no pressure there then!

Alex Utting brought his bass trombone to the surface for Wave and leader Hirst was featured on  Sammy Nestico's Switch in Time. Somebody's Gotta Do It was a new one on me - it showcased Bertie and Alexis.

The early start meant an early finish - possibly to appease the nearby residents - but not before the Bold Big Band went out on a rousing Watermelon Man. Quite appropriate as I'd had watermelon for tea! However, succulent as it was, it was nowhere near as tasty as the solos served up by Jordan and James on alto and guitar respectively.

The word circulating in the leafy glades of Jesmond is of a three (big) band bash scheduled for June at a nearby restaurant. Details will be made known when finalised.
Lance.
Jordan Alfonso, David Johnson, Sam Fox, Alexis Cairns, Sam Wicks (saxes); Simon Hirst (MD), Bertie Marks, (trombones); Alex Utting (bass trombone); Danny Wilson, Oli Presland, Tom Alcorn (trumpets); Harry Knott (keys), James Cuxson (guitar), Ifede Osiyemi (bass guitar/vocals); Joe Reid (drums).

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