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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17719 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 39 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Jan. 15).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Sat 18: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 18: Alter Ego + Jamie Toms/Graham Don Duo @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 18: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Repas 7 by Night, West St., Berwick TD15 1AS. 7:30pm. Free. Album launch gig.
Sat 18: Delta Prophets @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 19: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. ‘Glenn Miller & the Rat Pack Era’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 19: Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 19: Nick Ross Orchestra @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Sun 19: Freight Train (Tobin/Noble/Clarvis) @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 19: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

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, November 10, 2019

Mike Durham's Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel - Nov.3

Sunday evening - Nov.3
(Review by Russell)

Close on three hundred people had foregone sleep to ensure they caught every last minute of an exhausting but hugely enjoyable festival. Beginning late night Thursday with the annual 'welcome concert', the Classic Jazz Party was about to hear the bell for a thrilling Sunday evening last lap.

Andy Schumm is the nearest living, breathing approximation of Bix Beiderbecke and sought to emulate his hero as he entertained the Classic Jazz Party's audience with a half hour piano Professor set. Yes, Schumm, just like Bix, could play the piano! Bix's men - Arthur Schutt and Frank Signorelli - featured in the set alongside two or three of Schumm's own compositions, one of which, he conceded, wasn't exactly jazz!  

The following set presented by Morten Gunnar Larsen was an ambitious undertaking - Music of the German Weimar Republic. Norwegian Gunnar Larsen is an authority on the period - the years following WWI up to the rise to power of a nondescript Chancellor and subsequent Führer of Germany. Sixty minutes of decadence, Kurt Weill's cabaret of defiance and immaculate playing from all concerned held the audience rapt. 

Pianist Gunnar Larsen teamed up with Claus Jacobi to work on an engrossing programme. Largely downbeat rather than hot, cellist Penny Callow provided pathos sitting alongside fellow north of England star, Emma Fisk, violin. At times trumpeters Mike Davis and Torstein Kubban blew in subdued manner, Richard Pite read Jacobi's transcriptions for tuba and string bass and the usually ebullient Josh Duffee sat respectfully behind the traps reading the dots as Joan Viskant's vocals evoked the period. 

Claus Jacobi directed a brief set looking at Django Reinhardt, Ellington, Benny Carter and others. Guitarists Félix Hunot and Henry Lemaire relished the material as did Spats Langham also playing guitar in an Anglo Saxes vs French Guitars - the saxophones on this occasion being Lars FrankMichael McQuaid, leader Jacobi, David Horniblow and Matthias Seuffert.

The CJP was entering the home straight. 9:30 at night, time to bring on Spats and his Hot Combination. Tom Langham's record collection is probably like no other. The Al Bowlly fan likes Ukulele Ike, he can sing Bing and this set looked at a variety of small combos. Helping Langham were Emma Fisk (the pair often work together on sets), Duke Heitger, the hugely impressive Lars FrankMorten Gunnar Larsen and CJP favourite Malcolm Sked, tuba and string bass.

The big guns were wheeled out for the festival finale. Michael McQuaid led a stupendous farewell surrounded by MazuriéHeitger and Tomasso, trumpets, Alistair Allan and Graham Hughes, trombones, Seuffert and Horniblow the reeds alongside McQuaid, the man from New Orleans David Boeddinghaus, piano, Hunot, banjo and guitar, fellow Frenchman Lemaire on string bass and drummer Richard Pite. Ellington and Cab Calloway featured in McQuaid's Mills Blue Rhythm Band. It swung, it really did. Time to go...to the bar for a Classic Jazz Party jam session finale like no other! 

Sunday Night Pub Jam - would anyone dip out? Nope! Musicians by the score, punters by three score and ten (and more!) made for the bar, bagged a seat, stood at the bar, ready for the jam session to end all jam sessions. American Andy Schumm, cornet, called on his USA buddies Dave Bock, trombone and piano ace Andrew Oliver to get things going at eleven and from there on in the best part of twenty musicians had a blow (the finale numbering at least seventeen!). Lars Frank was there from the off, Phil Rutherford played the first hour on tuba, Nick Ward opened behind the traps and Joan Viskant wowed the packed room. 

The beer flowed, dancers did their thing and one after another the crème de la crème stepped up for a blow. In no particular order, and it's by no means a comprehensive list, the following had a ball - Stéphane Gillot, Torstein Kubban, Michael McQuaid, Matthias Seuffert, Young Talent Award winner Colin Hancock (pictured), Malo Mazuiré, Josh Duffee, Nick Ward, Nick Ball, Martin Wheatley, Graham Hughes, trombone and vocals, David Boeddinghaus, Enrico Tomasso and the fabulous Analucia Tomasso (pictured), vocals. it was 3:00am when it all finally came to an end. Let's do it again next year. The bookings are already coming in! 
Russell     

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