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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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00-2:00pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Fiona Finden’s Jazz Express @ Flash House Brewing Co., North Shields. 8:00pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 16: MOBO Song @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 12 noon. Free, performances on the concourse. Line-up inc. Jazz Attack (on stage time TBC) & Jambone (12:20pm).
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. .

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: 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

Sunday, April 21, 2019

The Cookers, Cécile & the blues...all night long

(Preview by Russell)

There's a good helping of jazz 'n' blues on TV and radio this week. Tonight at ten o'clock on ITV there is a one hour programme - Bublé - featuring the said Micky Bubbles backed by a 36-piece orchestra. Of particular interest to regular BSH readers is a promised duet with Cécile McLorin Salvant (singing La Vie en Rose). The show will be repeated next Friday (April 26) at 10:45pm. Best to watch it this evening because on Friday over on BBC 4 you'll have the blues all night long...

From nine o'clock on Friday it's blues all the way. John Lee Hooker: the Boogie Man is an 'in-his-own-words' documentary about the legendary Mississippi bluesman. Some of the usual talking heads contribute including Van the Man, Keef and Bonnie Raitt. Talking of Mr Richards, at 10:00pm The Rolling Stones at the BBC is a repeat of a 2012 programme which, at the time, included previously unseen footage from Top of the Pops
Blues and Beyond with Cerys Matthews and Val Wilmer follows at ten with broadcaster Matthews teaming up with esteemed writer and photographer (of dozens of jazz and blues greats*) Wilmer. It's a repeat but this is one occasion when it's a most welcome opportunity to see it again. The final programme of the evening - Blues at the BBC - is yet another repeat (starting at a quarter to midnight), however, alongside archive material of Slowhand, Freddie King and others, there is the rarest of rare film of Son House! 

Tune in to Radioland tonight (the pictures are better), Radio 2, 10:00pm, to listen to The Swing and Big Band Show with Clare Teal. At eleven it's Jools Holland (Radio 2) with an 'in-session' set from Cedric Burnside. The grandson of RL Burnside recently gave a terrific, down home, electric country blues performance at Cluny 2 in Newcastle.  

Easter Monday - clear the decks! First, Huey Morgan sits in for Cerys Matthews on The Blues Show (Radio 2, 9:00pm) then retune to Radio 3 (11:00pm) to catch Jazz Now. The Cookers - that's David Weiss' NYC-based super group - feature in a live set presented by Soweto Kinch. Sharing the stage with trumpeter Weiss will be Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Donald Harrison (alto sax), Billy Harper (tenor sax), Danny Grissett (piano), Essiet Essiet (bass) and drummer Victor Lewis.  

Tuesday (Radio 2, 9:00pm) it's The Jazz Show with Jamie Cullum. Always worth a listen, this week particularly so, with Jean Toussaint talking jazz with Cullum. Finally, on Friday (April 26) there's another radio repeat. Friday Night is Music Night (Radio 2, 8:00pm) was recorded in 2017 at Billingham's Forum Theatre. Madeline Bell, Anthony Strong, Joe Stilgoe and others are joined by the BBC Concert Orchestra to perform classic arrangements by Gordon Goodwin, Stan Kenton, Nelson Riddle and others. So, some good viewing and listening during the week but don't forget to get out and about - as the MU says: Keep Music Live!

Those lucky enough to be part of last night's sold out Strictly Smokin' Big Band Great Day in Harlem concert at Gosforth Civic Theatre will, no doubt, want to see yet more evocative images of some of the truly great characters of jazz and blues.     
Russell.
Link to Hugh's comment.

2 comments :

Lance said...

Thanks for the listings Russell - seems like the BBC are covering their backs and replacing their jazz content with more blues. To each his own...

Hugh said...

Perhaps this might tick some "jazz" boxes:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/jazz-625

:-)

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