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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

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Mississippi MacDonald @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Blues.
Sat 22: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm. £16.50. SOLD OUT!
Sat 22: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

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.
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: 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.

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, October 05, 2019

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music: Yazz Ahmed’s Electric Dreams @ Gosforth Civic Theatre - October 4

Yazz Ahmed (trumpet/flugelhorn); Jason Singh (voice/electronics); Samuel Hällkvist (guitar); Rod Youngs (drums)
(Review by Steve H)

Gosforth Civic Theatre was virtually full for the visit of the British Bahraini artist’s band Electric Dreams. As Ahmed explained, the band produces spontaneous improvisations so it was going to be interesting to see what sort of journey we would be taken on.

It got off to a very rocky start - more Pink Floyd than Blue Mitchell - as guitar and drums tended to dominate on the opening two numbers. The third piece seemed to change tack completely and almost had a western (in the John Wayne sense) type feel to it. 

At this point I was not convinced. Luckily the final piece of the first set really did the business. Starting off with some Indian style scat from Singh (I am sure there is a proper name for this but sadly I don’t know what it is) the piece grew and grew and morphed into almost Phillip Glass/Steve Reich minimalist  flavoured work. So, at the halfway point, I was now looking forward with eager anticipation to the second set.

I was not disappointed. The music, somehow, seemed far more coherent than in the first set. Hällkvist on guitar and Youngs on drums interacted brilliantly. Ahmed, who seemed rather subdued in the first set, was far more prominent in the second. An atmospheric electronic jazz soundscape was created and I was really able to lose myself in the music. 

So, a very positive end to the evening after a somewhat laboured start. But I guess that is the joy of improvised music neither the band nor the audience know how things are going to turn out but the longer everyone stays with it the better it seems to get.  
Steve H

2 comments :

Steve T said...

The singing/ scatting/ rapping style is called conical, though I never seem to be able to find the correct spelling. Anyone?

Chris Kilsby said...

I'm tempted to say Steve T's proposed spelling is a bit "comical", but that would be cheeky :)

It's most often written "konnakol" but as it's a Tamil word by origin there is no "official" version, and you'll see it as konokol and other variants as well.

However it's written, the konnakol was one of the highlights. I also enjoyed Singh's trademark bird calls towards the end, followed by some "bear growling" (?). Never heard those at a jazz gig before!

I'd liked to have heard a bit more from Yazz overall, but as Steve H says, this was an exciting session, with a welcome whiff of the unpredictable and risky. There was some great playing and it mostly worked for me.

Chris K

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