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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, 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

17972 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 293 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (April 22).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

Sat 26: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington. 12 noon. Free (donations).
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

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, October 27, 2019

Vasilis Xenopoulos with the Paul Edis Trio @ St Cuthbert's Centre, Crook - October 26

Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor & soprano saxophones); Paul Edis (piano); Ken Marley (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums) 
(Review by Russell)

The twists and turns of County Durham's back roads led to Church Hill as the second installment of Vasilis Xenopoulos' three date mini tour called in at St Cuthbert's Centre, Crook. Tables set with nibbles, a choice of bottled beers (the award winning McEwan's Champion at a premium 7.3% abv the selection), tonight's performance started fifteen minutes early! It must have been something to do with the end of BST.

By and large the set list followed Friday evening's fantastic performance as Xenopoulos and the trio opened with Dexter Gordon's Fried Bananas. What would the late, great American saxophonist have made of his music being celebrated in a rural church hall in the heart of the County Durham countryside? Tanya (a vehicle for Ken Marley's accomplished, extended bass solo), MontmartreSociety Red with the momentum of its many swinging sections, Xenopoulos was, once again, on form. When isn't he on form? 

A marvellous Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry then a departure from the Opus 4 programme with Boston Bernie closing the first set. And what a closer! Xenopoulos and pianist Edis summoned from the heavens a Bach-inspired contrapuntal exchange. If that had been it, it would have been worth the trek to the back of beyond (apologies to the residents of Crook!) but another hour or so would follow the serving of the legendary St Cuthbert's interval pizza.

Nibbles, pizza, another bottle of beer to wash it down, a raffle, a bit crack, yes, Crook was beginning to look like the epicentre of the jazz world! As the second set was about to begin Vasilis X confided that the musicians' interval conversation was about the, well, not to put to fine a point on it, the worst raffle prize on offer they had come across at their many jazz gigs. Vasilis thought he had the best story...a raffle prize in the form of half a dozen eggs. But wait, drummer Russ Morgan said he once played gig where one of the prizes was, wait for it...a cabbage! Only at a jazz gig...

Second set, Darlington Dexterology, Crook Dexterologyy. This the one Vasilis X composition, it rightly took its place in the set list with Mr D Gordon no doubt snapping his fingers up there in the Jazz Club in the Sky. Vasilis' album of similar name - Dexterity - is definitely one for your CD collection. Hanky Panky included a quote or two, one of them Rollins' Alfie, courtesy of Edis' quick (subconcious?) thinking. Is 'hanky panky' an English/British expression, possibly lost on Americans? Perhaps it tickled Dexter Gordon. 

Meditation (more quotations - Edis' referencing Chicago), I'm a Fool to Want You (superb), Second Balcony Jump, it was just about time to hit the road. Vasilis, Paul, Ken and Russ stepped down from the stage, their work done. Not quite, from all sides the applause won an encore. And what an encore - Cheese Cake! A third and final helping of the music of Dexter Gordon/Vasilis Xenopoulos will be served at lunchtime today (Sunday 27) at Blaydon Jazz Club. The Black Bull will be open for business at noon (arrive early to bag a front row seat) with Vasilis and the boys getting down to business at one o'clock. Don't be late!
Russell           

1 comment :

Lance said...

I must point out that when Russell refers to having 'a bit crack' during the interval he was using a northeast expression meaning light conversation. Least I hope that's what he meant!

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