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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Sophie Speed with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ Longframlington Memorial Hall. 7:00pm (doors). Tickets: £12.00. from 01665 570984.
Fri 16: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 16: Peter Donegan & Anthony Donegan @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. ‘Lonnie Donegan - The Stories’.

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. 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

Friday, May 10, 2019

Trish Clowes My Iris Quartet @ Sage Gateshead - May 8


Trish Clowes (tenor sax), Ross Stanley (piano/Hammond organ), Chris Montague (guitar) and James Maddren (drums)    
(Review by Chris Kilsby)

I wasn’t sure what to expect, perhaps something carefully arranged, introverted, or even academic, but on my first live hearing, this quartet turned out to be quite a handful, lighting up Sage 2 on a miserable wet evening with a clever and intense tapestry of original soundscapes. 

Their music is richly varied in feel, tempo and texture, often within the same song!  This might lead to information overload, but the show was secured by the visual spectacle and sheer variety, veering between velvet and violence.  Clowes has complete mastery of the tenor, with skronking split notes interspersed by soothing balm. Her lightning ability to transfer complex thought to action was equalled by the other virtuoso players.

The band took to the stage eschewing preliminaries, simply letting the music, mostly from new release Ninety Degrees Gravity, speak for itself. By the time they had warmed up with Lightning Les and Arise, they were at full speed, and clearly enjoying themselves,  for the excellent Eric's Tune - dedicated to Eric Gravatt (Weather Report drummer, early 70s edition). 

Some of the sax lines recalled the Wayne Shorter of that era, but with blistering guitar thrown in, and piano/B3 rather than Zawinul’s’ synths.  Clowes had a relaxed and genuine rapport with announcements between numbers, explaining the next one, I.F., was dedicated to the baby boys of the pianist and guitarist, complete with sound effects - not often you hear baby voices in Sage 2!
They really got going on I can’t find my other brush, where James Maddren further ramped up his already propulsive and abrupt variation of beat and feel, with a concluding barrage to satisfy the heaviest listeners!  The set closed with three very strong songs, with tunes and structure: Abbott & Costello (named after aliens from the sci-fi film Arrival, not the comedians!), Amber (a brand new song dedicated to a refugee charity activist) and Free to Fall, complete with an emotional vocal intro.

While Clowes' sax and Maddren’s  ever-shifting drums provided the main continuity, there were outstanding guitar breaks of great subtlety, speed and emotion from Chris Montague (a local boy apparently!), recalling Bill Frisell and Charles Altura,  as well as a flexible and startling variety of piano and Hammond organ from Ross Stanley, sometimes even doubling as a bass line.

Altogether a revelatory and stimulating musical romp, awash with intelligence and energy, with enough groove and smooth lines not to startle the horses!  My previous visit to Sage 2 was for the Ronnie Scott’s All Stars: while the technical mastery was similar, Clowes’ band had an altogether different, more ambitious take on jazz, drawing from the past for an exciting future.
Chris

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