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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

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ 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.

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. 12:30-1:30pm. £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: 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: 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.
Sun 16: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

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, May 09, 2019

Cheltenham Jazz Festival: Dave Sanborn Acoustic Band @ Town Hall - May 5

Dave Sanborn (alto sax); Michael Dease (trombone); Geoff Keezer (piano, keyboards); Ben Williams (double bass), Billy Kilson (drums).
(Review by Steve T)

Along with the loud shirts, my mid-life crisis was marked with the revival of band tee shirts, on this occasion, Kamasi Washington. A volunteer told me she had the exact same tee shirt (though much much smaller) and I told her that Sanborn was the Kamasi of his (my) day. Not strictly true, as various friends would describe him as second only to Grover, while others would throw Ronnie Laws into the mix. Occasionally I would raise the spectres of Bird and Trane, but I was generally better at biting my tongue in those days.

I never really cared much for Sanborn, thinking he tortured the damn thing until it sounded like a squawking baby, but I saw him in London a few years back in a quartet with Bob James and Steve Gadd and, although my reason for going was because my friend and landlord IS David Bowie, I really enjoyed it.

Here he came out followed by a sort of minder and sat down, where he remained for the set. At first I thought his formidable band would need to carry him but it soon became apparent he hadn't lost any of his chops. They opened with two by Michael Brecker - whom he described as one of the greatest sax players of his or any other generation. Next up an Africanised version of Maputo, written by Marcus Miller, and I'm sure I heard a reference to James Brown's Funky Good Time, with lots of Fred Wesley in the ‘bone solo, gaining a lift when he removed the mute.

Trombone player and drummer left the stage for a stunningly beautiful rendition of a pop song he remembered from high school seventy-five years ago, which turned out to be It's All In The Game, best known to me by the Four Tops. 

The pianist switched to a Fender Rhodes sound for Spanish Joint by Roy Hargrove and D' Angelo, which must have made him feel right at home with his old partner Bob James such an important purveyor of the sound.

The next piece started with a bass solo, followed by a big piano trio feature getting the audience going, before alternating ‘bone and alto solos, when it morphed into Night in Tunisia, or perhaps it always was.

On the Spot was the final piece and was funky in the old-fashioned sense, sax and ‘bone playing the head before a drum solo juxtaposing light-hearted tinkering - backed by light touch piano and bass - and thunderous technique. Head. Fine.

In London, Bob James had played acoustic piano exclusively and the quartet featured double bass, and this band was advertised as an acoustic band. Perhaps he doesn't want to acknowledge his jazz-funk legacy, despite this being the reason many come to see him and a new generation are less scornful of the genre. Perhaps it's because he's one of the artists who slipped into smooth jazz before reinventing himself as a straight jazzman, without distinction.
It takes two big attractions to get me to this festival and this was number two this year and didn't disappoint. 
Steve T

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