Bebop Spoken There

Dominick "Domo" Branch: ''Most people say drummers can't write, they're just time-keepers only beating on things. But I have a very musical brain.'' (DownBeat February, 2026)

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

18288 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 142 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 14), 42

From This Moment On ...

February

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: George Shearing Jazz Moments.

Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Squabble @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:00pm. Steve Chambers (organ); Jude Murphy (double bass, vocals); Sid White (drums).
Fri 20: Jive Aces @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors).
Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

Sat 21: ???

Sun 22: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 22: Joe Steels Group @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Harben Kay Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: Joe Steels Group @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Finn-Keeble Group @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00.
Tue 24: Liam Oliver & Shayo Oshodi @ The Black Swan, 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

Saturday, August 31, 2019

DB Sound Project @ The Globe – August 29


David Keighley (saxes); Adrian Sander (bass); Ben Grant (drums)
(Review by Ann Alex)

The band worked hard and gave a good, lively performance tonight, but the audience was small, so where were you all? The music was a mixture of originals and re-imaginings of rock songs, complete with fairy lights flashing so as to complement the music, and electronic effects controlled by the saxman.


A typical original was the number which rounded off the first half: Walter, the bass opens by playing a Spanish-influenced tune, then crashing cymbals, the sax cuts across with longer notes, then makes 'crying' sounds, and the piece suddenly ends. Exciting stuff and impossible to say if it was freely improvised or not, you'd have to ask the musicians themselves. The first half gave us mostly originals. Some of these were quite swingy, others were more way outside of the box (Is there actually a box in jazz?). I would have liked 1 or 2 more swingers out of the 8 first half tunes.

The second half was mostly re-imagined tunes such as Golden Brown; Space Oddity; Walking on the Moon; even Coltrane's Love Supreme. Listening to these gave the audience a chance to appreciate the skilled musicianship. The gig was rounded off with two or three funk pieces and I wished I could get up and dance but I couldn't leave my post of guarding the money on the door.

Set List 1: Scarlett's Aurora-Walking Green; 3 Shots Fired; The Spanish Ballerina; Spell of Repetition; Keep it Real; Carnivalesque; Come As You Are; Walter

Set list 2: A Love Supreme – Take The L Train; Golden Brown; Space Oddity; Walking on the Moon; Karma Blue; Searching For Mia; The 37th Chamber; Groove Funk Swing Thing; Lazarus; Bjork  
Ann Alex

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