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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Kurt Rosenwinkel Bandit 65 @ Sage Gateshead - September 28

Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar, electronics); Tim Motzer (guitar, guitar synth, electronics); Gintas Janusonis (drums, percussion, electronics)
(Review by Russell)

Bandit 65 has been described as a 'post-jazz sonic trio'. The box office name is Kurt Rosenwinkel, the guitarist's lower profile co-leaders - Tim Motzer, guitar, Gintas Janusonis, drums - are deserving of equal billing but, hey, this is showbusiness. Other than concert appearances in London this Sage Gateshead performance was Rosenwinkel's first British gig! Considering the guitarist has been active on the jazz (post-jazz?) scene for the best part of thirty years it was a long overdue visit to these shores.
Two sets (2 x 60 mins) with little in the way of interaction with the audience (it was fully forty-five minutes before Rosenwinkel spoke), Bandit 65 created a series of improvised 'electronic landscapes' featuring stunning musicianship from the trio. Post-jazz? The much derided 'prog rock'? One thing is for certain - Kurt Rosenwinkel possesses unparalleled technique. Your correspondent has heard many of the contemporary guitar greats - McLaughlin, Scofield, Di Meola, Lagrène, the list goes on - and none of them could/would put the man from Pennsylvania in the shade. One or two half-decent guitarists were in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall to hear for themselves, it's a fair bet their jaws dropped. Don't give up lads, there's hope yet! 

Rosenwinkel didn't bother to offer titles, suggesting everything they were doing was wholly improvised. Well, yes, but such was the trio's breathtaking precision that it couldn't be other than agreed frameworks were in place. Tim Motzer's electro-acoustic looping wizardry alongside Gintas Janusonis's constantly shifting drum patterns and electronic interventions primed the canvas for Rosenwinkel to apply dashing, daring, spellbinding flourishes.  

A first set blues groove with a samba beat recalled Bandit 65's 2017 album Caipi and second set Rosenwinkel's bluesy solo rode atop Motzer's insistent, soulful, synthesised basslines. As the evening drew to a close Rosenwinkel apologised for not having any hard copy CDs with him but suggested we look out for the band's next release due on October 11 on his own Heartcore label. Rosenwinkel left us with this observation: Everything we do is to meditate on the common good
Russell

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