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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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. 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 24, 2019

Emma Fisk's Hot Club du Nord & Early Bird Big Band @ Ushaw Jazz Festival - August 23

Emma Fisk (violin); James Birkett, Dave Harris (guitars); Bruce Rollo (bass)
(Review by Lance)

With some musicians their instrument is the equivalent of the doctor's stethoscope or the plumber's wrench - the tools of their trade. However, there are other musicians - a select few - who are totally at one with their instrument. It isn't something they take out of a case and then put it back again a couple of hours later. It is part of them - an extension - just as much so as any of their vital organs.

Emma Fisk is such a person. Even when her violin is safely tucked up in its case you feel it is still a part of her. At least that's my impression having listened to her twice in the course of a week.
I didn't care that I'd heard it all before - when something is that good you never tire of it. Plus, with the guitar virtuosity of James Birkett and Dave Harris being goosed along by Bruce Rollo on slap bass it was no wonder that the youngest member of the audience (and her mother) had to release their inhibitions on the dance floor - I wanted to do the same!

Although I was never fortunate enough to hear Grappelli with Django, I did hear him at different times with John Etheridge, Diz Disley and Martin Taylor and, great as those concerts were, this one lost nothing by comparison.

Honeysuckle Rose; I Found a New Baby; I Can't Give you Anything But Love; Swing 42; Blue Drag; Ain't Misbehavin'; Nuages; Undecided; Daphne; I'm Confessin'; Coquette; HCQ Strut; Sweet Chorus; Minor Swing; A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square; Sweet Georgia Brown; J'attendrai.
----- 
Earlier, the festival had opened with an inspired set by the Early Bird Big Band. The EBBB, is one of several groups organised by Paul Edis that, over the years, have served as a launching pad for many emerging and talented young jazz musicians and the Class of 2019, on the strength of this performance, are upholding and enhancing that solid base. Whilst credit must be given where credit's due, by which I refer to MD Edis, the seeds he sowed would have fallen upon stony ground without the receptive ears of his students.

That their ears were receptive was proven, not only in the well-constructed solos but also in the original pieces composed, arranged and introduced by each composer.

It would be unfair to single out individuals as they all contributed to the overall sound and, even without the imported heavies, they would still have sounded good.
The future is in their - and Dr Edis' - hands …
Lance
PS: Of course any Ushaw Jazz Festival would be incomplete without Tony Eales' now legendary 'Jazz Alley'. The walls of this passageway are, for the duration of the festival, lined with LP covers from his vast collection. "Got that one - wish I had that one - is that the original cover of Benny Goodman's Carnegie Hall concert?" It just wouldn't be as eye catching with CDs! Well done Tony.

Early Bird Big Band: Paul Edis (MD, tenor sax); Graham Hardy, Ailsa Critten (trumpet, flugelhorn); James Metcalf (trumpet) Haaruun Miller (sop sax, alto sax); Emma Talbot (alto sax);  Faye Thompson (tenor sax, clarinet); Ryan de Silva (baritone sax); Megan Robinson (flute); Jason Holcomb, Samuel Banks (trombone); Tom Henery (guitar); Ben Lawrence (piano, keyboards); Alex Shipsey (bass guitar); Dylan Thompson (drums)

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