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Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17873 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 194 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (March 14).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED PERMANENTLY!
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Nicknames.
Thu 20: Terri Green Experience @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.90.
Thu 20: King Bees @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb blues band.
Thu 20: Lindsay Hannon Trio @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Hannon’s ‘Tom Waits for No Man’ set.
Thu 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Giles Strong Quartet @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 21: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Featuring special guest Martin Litton (piano).

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: Swamp Stomp String Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Sat 22: Rivkala @ 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: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: The Great Deceivers @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Tom Atkinson & co play King Crimson (1969-1974). Atkinson (guitar); Josh Bentham (alto sax); Stu Dawson (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums).

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: Fred Wesley & the New JB’s @ The Cluny. 7:30pm (doors). £27.50. POSTPONED! New date Wednesday 26 November.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

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

Friday, November 15, 2019

Mondo Trumpet @ Gosforth Civic Theatre - November 14

Pete Tanton (trumpet/flugelhorn/vocal); Graham Hardy (trumpet/flugelhorn); Paul Edis (piano); Andy Champion (bass/bass guitar/acoustic guitar); Russ Morgan (drums).
(Review by Lance/Photos courtesy of Pam).

Mondo Trumpet or World Trumpet grew from an idea born in a bar in Brasilia (Brass-ilia?) – or was it Byker? – where our two trumpeting toreadors thought it would be a worthwhile conception to compose and arrange music depicting various parts of the world.

The room was comfortably filled, the trio primed for action on the floor level stage and an expectant hush descended as we waited, and waited and waited until, after a fanfare that sounded a bit like Rule Britannia – was this going to be a Brexit Bash? – the co-leaders emerged from the wings and we were transported to sunnier climes, the cats and dogs that were peppering the pavement outside forgotten.

The opener, Tanton told us, came from Portugal. It was impressive and reminded me of Work Song which it wasn’t. The duo also reminded me of the Candoli Brothers without the screamers. The sound was good and all five were at the top of their game.

I didn’t catch all of the titles but what’s in a name? Shoe Tree Blues, composed by Hardy referred to a tree in Armstrong Park which, I gather, has boots and shoes dangling from its branches. Moral Compass featured a vocal by Pete Tanton. The amiable American has a way with words (check out his novel Johnny Lonely) and he delivered the song in an easy relaxed style.

Nothing relaxed about the next number. Hardy was growling, Edis was on fire, Morgan dispensed with sticks and used his hands whilst Champion fiddled as Tanton burned. This was wild, the rhythm section building up the tension until the brassmen took it out in a blaze of glory and this was just the first set!

During the interval I got the chance to chat with no less a person than Peter Fielding’s son. Fielding, whom local music historians of a certain age will remember as bandleader at the Oxford Galleries, Newcastle, during the 1930s, has oft been a topic for discussion on BSH and hopefully we will get the opportunity sometime for a longer chat with his son.

Set two began with the two trumpet players making a theatrical entrance, as befits the venue, working their way towards the stage, the sound reminiscent of the music at a Mexican plaza de toros. However, once the quintet hit their stride, there wasn’t any bull from the horns although, on this number, the coup de grace was delivered by Edis at the upright. Always good to hear a real piano and never better than when it’s being put through its paces by Paul.

If you’re in Norway, it’s on the cards that Eddie Grieg will show up and tonight was no exception with Hardy exquisitely blowing flugel on Solveig’s Song from the Norwegian composer’s Peer Gynt Suite.

Champion moved on to acoustic guitar (he's a contender in that area too!), piano and drums exited stage right, and the trumpets played what Tanton described as a Texas Mariachi piece by Dizzy Gillespie.

And so the evening enfolded as our global tour continued ending up in Tokyo with a piece titled Japanation. It had been a fascinating journey and one well worthy of repetition.
What a wonderful mondo!
Lance

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