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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

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: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
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: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 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

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Giles Strong Trio @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall - May 24.


Giles Strong, Roly Veitch (guitars); Ian Paterson (bass).
(Review by Jerry/ Photos courtesy of Chris Whittle)

As a nod to the Laurel and Hardy connection (we were in the Laurel café), I had wanted to use the headline, “Another Fine Gig”, but for fear that it might be misconstrued as anything other than a compliment, I decided against it. But it was a fine gig, anyway – a mixture of (mostly) standards and a couple of originals, beautifully performed.

The standards were mostly arranged by Giles Strong, for which he received well-deserved applause at the first name-check and the originals held their own amidst familiar names like Kern and Porter as well as less familiar names (to me) such as Dietz and Schwartz, whose gentle, soothing, Alone Together, closed the gig. I had been looking forward to the performance as, although I have seen all three musicians before, I have never seen Ian Paterson on double bass and had never seen the two guitarists other than with vocalists or playing “gypsy-jazz”, Suffice to say, I was not disappointed!



First up was I’ll Remember April (Gene de Paul) which set the pattern for things to come, with a bass intro and then the two guitarists alternating lead. Nature Boy was written by eden ahbez who insisted on lower case letters for his name as “only God and Infinity deserve capitals”! I’ve heard the song countless times before, but never knew that! I mention that in passing – the knowledge does not change the song or my appreciation of its gentle, Latin-ish rhythms. Cole Porter’s Love for Sale had me noticing the absence of sheet-music today – who needs it when you are this comfortable with the material?

Giles Strong’s Everything Was Beautiful, was the first original – a lovely song, with or without lyrics. Ian Paterson’s solo here caught the attention – closely following the main harmony, all played towards the top end of the double-bass range. Very difficult, I imagine, and very effective here. It was a couple of tunes later before he got any applause for a solo, on Roly’s original, WT Blues (what’s the WT for, Roly?) which is a new tune to me – a nice, funky(?) foot-tapper. He deserved applause at various earlier points in the gig, providing many of the intros and endings to numbers, as well as soloing pleasantly. I suppose applause for every solo would be intrusive in a gig described as “chamber-jazz” where the mood is quite intimate and the volume level almost acoustic?

It wasn’t all about the bass, though, the two guitarists were on top form whether on blues or ballads with clean harmonies and gentle rhythms. On Jerome Kern’s Yesterdays, the bass went silent for a spell and we were treated to a guitar duo exchange which sounded more classical than either of the aforementioned genres. Great!

Unmentioned so far were the gentle Johnny Green ballad, Body and Soul and (another new name to me) George Fragos’ I Hear a Rhapsody which reminded me, obscurely, of the Beatles track, And I Love Her. Not sure why! The penultimate number was introduced as “a simple blues” – Billie’s Blues – on which Giles Strong and Roly Veitch both got a nice groove going and the bass gave us intro, solo, and final notes, again.

Promoter, Mick Shoulder, had introduced the trio as “the smartest band we’ve had here”- all three were suited and Roly even had a tie! Regardless of sartorial elegance he is to be congratulated for bringing such excellent music to Bishop Auckland on a regular basis. There may be a change of venue later this year when the Town Hall undergoes refurbishment, but the gigs will hopefully continue elsewhere. Watch this space…..
Jerry.

2 comments :

JERRY said...

Apologies to the musicians, I seem to have missed a few numbers in my review - ALL OF ME being one (there may have been more).

Roly said...

Thanks Jerry. No you didn't miss any of the set list. WT stands for Whole Tone as the tune is based on a music scale of that name. The town hall is a really lovely venue and well worth a visit to hear the jazz concerts there. Ample cheap parking very close by too.
Roly

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