Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 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

18754 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 618 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 28) 82

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

From This Moment On

July

Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Milne Glendinning Band @ Repas 7 by Night, Berwick. 8:00-9:00pm. £6.00. A Berwick Fringe Festival event. £6.00 (£6.00 wristband access to all Fringe events).

August

Sat 01: Jazz Weekend workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 9:30am. £95.00. Tutors: Nel Begley & Paul Edis: Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop. Day 1/2.
Sat 01: Jim Wright’s Rhythm Deluxe @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 01: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Saltburn Bandstand. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Milne Glendinning Band @ Leonard’s Coffee House, Durham. 6:20pm. £7.00. A Durham Fringe Festival. 1/2.
Sat 01: Paul Skerritt Swing Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: The Swing Commanders @ The Amphitheatre, Stockton. 9:00-10:30pm. Free. Stockton International Riverside Festival.

Sun 02: Jazz Weekend workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 9:30am. £95.00. Tutors: Nel Begley & Paul Edis: Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop. Day 2/2.
Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Sue Ferris.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Milne Glendinning Band @ Leonard’s Coffee House, Durham. 6:20pm. £7.00. A Durham Fringe Festival event. 2/2.
Sun 02: Nel Begley & Paul Edis @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

Mon 03: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 03: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 04: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 06: Wild Women of Wylam @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guest Zoë Gilby.
Thu 06: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 06: Bridget Metcalfe Sextet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Fabled @ The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle - Sept. 22

Sam Rapley (sax/clarinet/compositions); Alex Munk (guitar); Matt Robinson (piano); Conor Chaplin (double bass); Will Glaser (drums)

(Review by Steve H/Photo courtesy of Ken Drew)

Weirdly, for an album tour, the band had no CDs for sale. This though was for the best  of reasons - they had sold them all at their previous gig as part of the Scarborough Jazz Festival. 

Fabled was formed by Sam Rapley in 2014, a debut EP followed in 2015 and they are now touring their first album Short Stories. According to the pre-publicity the band draws inspiration from various musical genres - classical, jazz, world (whatever that may be)  and indie folk. Rapley also has a keen interest in cinematic music having already scored several soundtracks for short movies. 
What was delivered at this JNE concert on Sunday night was pretty much what it said on the tin - cinematic landscapes with all their stated influences clearly evident .

The album tunes are inspired by major life events  - birth, love, marriage and death that kind of thing. This might seem a bit heavy going but the music was anything but. The tunes were melodious and uplifting, not a depressing riff to be found. 

My favourite bits of the evening were the times when Rapley and drummer Glaser upped the ante and took it out of the safe zone - normally towards the end of each number. As a quintet the unit were superb,  totally at one with each other clearly enjoying the music they were creating together and, since the audience seemed to be enjoying it just as much, a fine evening was had by all. 
Steve H.  

No comments :

Blog Archive