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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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

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

Tue 25: ?

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: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
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: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 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, August 09, 2019

The Old Peculier jam session @ The Black Swan - August 6

(Review by Russell)

August, holidays, likely as not particpiants and and listeners would be thin on the ground. O ye, of little faith! Of course they turned out, sitters-in and the regular 'first name terms' crowd. The Black Swan jam session rarely, if ever, fails to deliver. As the evening's entertainment was about to begin a bottle of Old Peculier couldn't be resisted. Cheers!   

First up, BSH's Ann Alex. Bubbling with enthusiasm, AA engaged with the house trio to sing two numbers opening with the Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer classic Come Rain or Come Shine. And that was it, no more vocals, from here on in it would be a top flight instrumental showcase. 

The trio - master guitarist Mark Willams, jam session lynchpin bassist Paul Grainger and ace drummer Russ Morgan - could hold the attention of an audience anywhere, anytime but this evening was all about the sitters-in dotted around the room waiting patiently to be called by Mr PG. Harry Keeble got the nod, played a couple of tunes including a magical reading of 'Round Midnight. One sensed HK had been in the woodshed for this one, trying out a few things - whatever, it worked! Our tenor saxophonist is soon to head to London, if he pops up at another session before he departs, treasure his contribution because Harry is one helluva tenor player.  

Guitarist Adam Sams puts in an occasional Black Swan appearance and his welcome presence enabled fellow six stringer Williams to go to the bar. Someday My Prince Will Come waltzed along nicely. Good on Sams for following on from Mr MW. At this juncture, in typical jam session style, it was a case of 'all hands on deck' with an array of talent reporting for duty. Sams stayed exactly where he was, Russ Morgan went to the bar as the fabulous Abbie Finn took a spell, John Rowland meant business (taking off his jacket to blow some robust tenor!) with Teesside's finest, Mr Jeremy McMurray, occupying the piano stool. Monk's Bright Mississippi the tune, a definite highlight. Due to an absence of depping bass players MC Grainger, citing the EU Working Time Directive, declared the session would 'take five'...everybody out!

And they kept on coming...David Gray is affectionately known as 'Showtime' thanks to our trombonist never failing to provide 'good value' but that shouldn't obscure the fact he is a superb musician and to illustrate the point he played a sublime version of Corcovado. As if things couldn't get any better 'the boys' joined the party. Three supremely talented young men, currently 'on vacation' from their respective universities - Ben Lawrence (Durham), Francis Tulip (Birmingham), Matt MacKellar (Berklee) - took centre stage for a couple of numbers (including a TS Monk jam session staple) alongside the horns of Keeble and Rowland. The standard beggared belief. Millennials with bags of talent, pianist Ben has developed exponentially, guitarist Francis has the chops, the language, literally at his fingertips, and Matt is as fine a drummer you could wish to hear. How lucky is the Tyneside jazz scene to be able to boast three A-list drummers hanging at one session? We are going through a golden period, no question about it. 

Four (Rowland blowing tenor), the Millennials dazzling, FT taking a look at Bye Bye Blackbird, a lock-in wouldn't have gone amiss but, as the eleven o'clock curfew approached, it was all aboard the milk train (Ray Burns jumping on with no time to spare!). Yes, it had been a canny night, alright. The next session is on Tuesday 20th. Who knows who'll turn up. One way to find out...be there!
Russell
                           
Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums) + Ann Alex (vocals); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Adam Sams (guitar); John Rowland (tenor sax); Jeremy McMurray (piano); Abbie Finn (drums); David Gray (trombone); Francis Tulip (guitar); Ben Lawrence (piano); Matt MacKellar (drums); Ray Burns (harmonica)   

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