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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

18037 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 458 of them this year alone and, so far, 36 this month (June 11).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sat 14: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners @ Northumberland Miners’ Picnic, Woodhorn Museum, Ashington. 10:00am-5:00pm. Free. At intervals during the day.
Sat 14: Spanish City Rollers @ The Brae, Cullercoats. 11:00am & 1:00pm. Free. A Cullercoats Festival event.
Sat 14: Front Porch Three + Hoodoo Blues swing dance workshop @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 3:30pm. A Cullercoats Festival event.
Sat 14: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer & Cider Festival, Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. 4:15-5:30pm.
Sat 14: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 14: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 14: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Sat 14: Eva Fox & Steve Chambers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 15: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm.
Sun 15: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Hannah Brine Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:30pm. Free. Concert performance (open to the public)..
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00.

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’..
Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. .
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

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

Wednesday, November 06, 2019

Jam Session @ The Black Swan - November 5

(Review/photos by Lance).

Like all good theatre the Black Swan jam sessions start off low key and build to a series of climaxes culminating in les grand dénouement. And, true to tradition, there are the inevitable latecomers and the crisp packet rustlers and crunchers.

The opening scene had Grainger, Strong and Finn setting the plot rather like the trio that convened on a blasted heath in Scotland although tonight it was On Green Dolphin Street followed by Tenderly and Cole Porter’s I Love YouA  good start, tasteful and swinging.

However, with the arrival centre stage of Harry Keeble the fire began to burn and the cauldron to bubble. Nica’s Dream was fast and furious as our boy stormed through the changes driven on by partner Abbie – truly a match made in Birdland. ‘Round Midnight, by contrast had an eerie, almost ethereal mood.

Time for a song. Jan Spencelayh chose Nature Boy. Let me say that, like Nat King Cole and many other good singers she sang it well but really, I’ve yet to encounter a song with such banal lyrics as Nature Boy with its phoney mysticism. By comparison, Autumn Leaves, with English words by Johnny Mercer is Shakespearean in its reflective nature.

Carolyn Pallon, in town from Cambridge, was a new voice on the scene and she delivered I Got Rhythm and My Funny Valentine with style and imagination – we were to hear more as the evening progressed.

Josie Bennington and Graham Easthope played flute and tenor respectively on Watermelon Man and Canteloupe Island before an intermission signifying the end of Act One was called.

Act Two began with Harry Keeble working out on Night and Day – this was the one – Cole Porter would be dancing in his grave with delight. John Pope joined the party for Sam Rivers’ Beatrice. Nice one.

Jan and Josie waxed lyrical on The Girl/Boy From Ipanema before Paul Gowland entered stage left. “Is this a soprano saxophone I see before me?” I asked. It was indeed and My Favorite Things proved that Paul can handle it as fluently as he does alto and tenor, his usual weapons of mass destruction at jams. Lady Finn’s drum solo also a delight to behold.

Bye Bye Blackbird is one of those “not again” songs but, in the hands of Cambridge Carolyn and Jesmond Jordan we would have listened to it forever. CC displayed her vocal range impressively and JJ did likewise on tenor.

The session progressed and the plot unfolded. Joel occupied the piano stool and Jordan and Paul (Gowland) blew My One and Only Love. Then suddenly, before the beer was dry in the glass, we were into the final act. All of the principal players, headed for the stage rather like Great Birnam wood moving towards high Dunsinane.

Tune Up was untimely plucked from the iPod which left room for Now’s the Time known to some as The Hucklebuck.

I didn’t care that The Metro wasn’t running – the number 27 was so it was a case of All’s Well That Ends Well.
Lance.
Paul Grainger (bass); Giles Strong (guitar); Abbie Finn (drums) + Harry Keeble, Jordan Alfonso, Graham Easthope (tenor sax); Paul Gowland (soprano sax); Josie Bennington (flute); Joel Brown (piano); John Pope (bass); Jan Spencelayh, Carolyn Pallon (vocals).

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