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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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 16: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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, November 23, 2019

The Tenement Jazz Band @ Theatre Hullabaloo, Darlington - Nov 22

John Youngs (banjo, guitar, vocals); Charles Dearness (trumpet); Paddy Darley (trombone); Tom Pickles (alto sax, soprano sax); Doug Kemp (string bass)
(Review by Russell)

Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club continues to go from strength to strength. For twelve months and more Saturday lunchtime concerts at St Augustine's Parish Centre have attracted ever increasing audiences and this welcome trend encouraged organisers to take a chance on promoting an evening event at Hullabaloo on Borough Road. Theatre Hullabaloo is Darlington Hippodrome's studio theatre space and on Friday evening a near capacity audience turned up to hear the Tenement Jazz Band. 

The five piece Tenement Jazz Band has had a meteoric rise since its formation less than two years ago. It is often the case that musicians playing New Orleans' jazz are of a similar vintage to their ageing audience but on this occasion the Edinburgh based band was of a younger generation. Countless gigs (including a series of standing-room-only gigs at this year's Edinburgh Fringe), a sold out first CD (the band ordered several hundred additional copies in an attempt to meet demand) and invaluable coverage in the jazz media (at home and in America) has enabled the Tenements to build a word-of-mouth fan base. 

Bogalusa Strut from the band's New Orleans Wiggle album opened the Hullabaloo show. Thanks to their instrumental virtuosity five young men with a commitment to, and passion for, the music of 1920s' New Orleans wowed the audience. From the first number of the night to the last some two hours later, Hullabaloo's audience found itself in the Big Easy (New Orleans) on the Mississippi. 

The Tenements' John Youngs made the introductions with an endearing line in self-deprecating humour. The man originally from Norwich now living north of the border sat with his band mates on a homely carpet which travels with the band from gig to gig. Legendary characters featured during the evening. Trumpeter Chuck Dearness rose to the challenge of emulating the likes of Joe 'King' Oliver and Louis Armstrong and trombonist Paddy Darley took on the role of Kid Ory and others. 

Dusty Rag, That's A Plenty (hot jazz!), Milenberg Joys (Youngs made the case for the tune's Scottish origin!), Chocolate Avenue (composed by the man who claimed to be from Saturn, Sun Ra!), White Ghost Shivers (the New Orleans Owls) and New Orleans Wiggle entertained an appreciative crowd which, at the end of the night, formed an orderly queue to snap up the few remaining copies of the band's rightly popular debut recording.      
Russell

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