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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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ 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

Monday, September 02, 2019

Ambleside Days Festival Tommy Smith – Embodying the Light Quartet - and Gwilym Simcock @ Zeffirellis - August 30

Tommy Smith (tenor sax); Pete Johnstone (piano); Calum Gourlay (bass); Sebastiaan De Krom (drums)
(Review by Hugh C)

Stuart Johnson (Zeffirellis event programmer and also of this parish) introduced this set with the observation that, over the years, “he had heard many try to pay tribute to John Coltrane, but that he’d never heard anyone do it as well as these guys”.  No pressure then!

The quartet went straight into the music, all purely acoustic, including double bass.  They commenced the set with Persuance.  The delivery set a pattern that was repeated over the evening.  Extended piano or bass solos, with subtle drumming by de Krom in support, the leader retiring to the edge of the stage, resting one hand on the curve of the Steinway and gently grooving, greying hair glinting in the spotlight.  At the most imperceptible of nods from the soloist, Smith would return centre stage with his horn.  After some twenty minutes of high octane music the heightened atmosphere was brought down by the slower, more tender, melody of Dear Lord.  Smith then observed that the items played he had first played in Zeffirellis in 1988 with John Taylor and then, several times since. He said that he had always been well looked after.
Embodying the Light (the title of their recent CD release) raised the tempo again.  The full tilt delivery followed the formula, this time Smith was crouched at the edge of the stage during a piano solo – when offered a piano stool to sit on, he carefully placed his horn on it and stood up. 

Naima returned the house to a more contemplative state.  A Tommy Smith composition, Transformation followed.  This, based on Coltrane’s Impressions, itself based on Miles Davis’ So What, contained influences from Claude Debussy and Morton Gould.  The piece commenced with a few “little Scottish things – to make us [the band] feel at home”.  Pete Johnstone delivered one of many stunning piano solos during this piece, using his whole upper body in delivery and with just discernible vocalisation in the absence of any amplification.  Sebastiaan De Krom was let off the leash for an energetic solo also. 

The contemplative atmosphere was restored by The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost: melodic saxophone over rippling piano and subtle bass joined after a time by cymbals played with padded sticks.  This was the final item (officially).  Tommy Smith enquired if there was a curfew – to which the answer from Derek Hook at the side of the auditorium, was NO!  We were treated to an encore, Summertime, Coltrane style.  Great ensemble playing with short solos and a slow fade in the final bars.

Well, Mr Johnson was right, this was an exemplary performance by the quartet, despite Tommy Smith coming in from his holidays for the gig and not having played his horn for some thirty days (and nights in the wilderness?). 
 ----- 
Gwilym Simcock – Solo Piano Gwilym Simcock – Solo Piano
The first half of a split gig on the evening of the second day of the 2019 Festival.  The main cinema in Zeffirellis had been turned into a concert venue for the duration.  The Steinway grand piano, placed on the right side of the stage for this event; drums and other paraphernalia for the second half already in the wings.  The hall was full.

Gwilym Simcock played his own compositions with repertoire predominantly from his recent solo release, Near and Now, self-recorded in his Berlin apartment.  Beautiful is Our Moment (dedicated to Billy Childs) commenced with atmospheric chords imparting the character of the French impressionists, building to expressive harmonies reminiscent of folk melodies. 

There then followed an exploration of the more percussive qualities of  the instrument, the piece ending after some 20 minutes with rippling chords in the lower register, gradually falling away.  You’re My You (dedicated to Les Chisnall - Simcock’s former piano teacher - who was in the audience) was a short item with gentle melodic progression and subtle key changes.  

Northern Smile, from Simcock’s solo recording Good Days At Schloss Elmau, was an upbeat, jaunty item (on this occasion) in celebration of the northern audience and incorporated distinct Jarrett-style exclamatory vocalisations.  Before the Elegant Hour (dedicated to Brad Mehldau) delivered with high energy percussive piano interspersed with more melodic sections.  According to Simcock, in this piece he was trying to catch the brooding quality of Mehldau’s music.  The final piece, Many Worlds Away, was dedicated to Egberto Gismonti – the atmospheric sense of Gismonti’s music had an early influence on Gwilym Simcock and he was something of a hero. 

After just over one hour it was time for the interval and replenishment of the reviewer’s glass with Keswick Brewing Company’s Jazz Session ale – actually originally brewed for the Keswick Jazz and Blues Festival, but very fine all the same.
Hugh C

3 comments :

Steve T said...

How did I miss this? Again!!!!

Lance said...

Our listings (not our reviews which are world-wide) tend to stop this side of Kirkstone Pass. I'll try and remember to make an exception next year.

Hugh said...

Steve - Sack your diary assistant?

Lance - Good idea. From discussions at the 2017 event, next year's may be the last. I have no new information on this, so we'll see what pans out.

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