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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Thursday, April 04, 2019

The April Showers' Jam session @ The Dun Cow - April 3

Paul Edis (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Rob Walker (drums) + Kay Usher (violin); John Rowland (tenor sax); Faye Thompson (alto sax); Roly Veitch (guitar) 
(Review by Russell)

Following hard on the heels of Tuesday's packed house with numerous sitters-in at the Black Swan events conspired to make Wednesday's monthly jam session at the Dun Cow a more cosy affair if not quite a damp squib. The house trio - Paul Edis, Paul Grainger and Black Swan jam session house drummer Rob Walker - set about rearranging the furniture...

One end of the Dun Cow was undergoing some sort of refit necessitating the temporary siting of the pub's pool table smack dab in the middle of the jam session's usual spot. What to do? The house trio moved tables and chairs from the conservatory space in order to set-up in time for an eight o'clock start. Would the sound be less than perfect? Would the pub's staff sort out the heating or would it be a winter overcoat night for audience and musicians alike? And the weather would have its say...


It was cold with numbers thin on the ground as Messrs Edis, Grainger and Walker made a start playing April in Paris (Jesmond). The proprietor of a fondly remembered (quality jazz) establishment on nearby Osborne Road arrived and in next to no time took the initiative seeing to it that the conservatory should be heated on a night such as this. Dun Cow staff put a shilling in the meter. 

Bassist Paul Grainger invited a togged-up Kay Usher to play some jazz. Our violinist decided upon Undecided to which the house trio responded with feigned confusion...why couldn't Usher make up her mind? Ha! Ha! Night and Day kept the former Northern Sinfonia string player on the stand until reinforcements arrived in the form of John Rowland, Faye Thompson and Blaydon Jazz Club's Roly Veitch. 

Rowland took off his bicycle clips, assembled his tenor sax and called I Can't Give You Anything but Love. Our lugubrious cyclist hung around to offer Love for Sale at which point the rain began to fall. It wouldn't be long before the elements would play a part in proceedings. Alto saxophonist Faye Thompson, fresh from cutting it the previous evening at the Black Swan, upped the tempo on Bag's Groove. Heads were nodding, feet tapping when pianist Edis looked up into the conservatory's rafters. The now torrential rain (April showers!) began to seep through the roofing. Water dripped onto Edis' keyboard. Water + electricity = potential disaster. Our pianist played on, along the way quoting Singin' in the Rain. Guitarist Veitch braved the elements and the next few numbers found the audience with an ear cocked to the cookin' jazz and an eye on the unfolding drip-drip drama up above. Your correspondent's notes became a tad smudged - the rain was finding alternative points of entry! 

Was that September (April) in the RainEverything Happens to Me? It had been a funny old night and the oddest thing...the Black Swan session had opened with Four and this Dun Cow session closed with Four. Now there's a thing!   

Russell

1 comment :

Patti said...

Sounds like an interesting jam session - and let's hope the Dun Cow owners decide to get that conservatory roof checked pronto! They surely won't want the rain dripping through onto their Sunday lunch dining crowd? Anyway, as Ted Lewis sang 'Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall ......' Finally, kudos to Paul and co. for keeping the music going while the heavens opened.

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