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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

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: MOBO Song @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 12 noon. Free, performances on the concourse. Line-up inc. Jazz Attack (on stage time TBC) & Jambone (12:20pm).
Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt 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. .

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones - 1975.
Thu 20: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 20: Orange Claw Hammer + Peony @ The Globe, Newcastle.7:30pm. Orange Claw Hammer play Captain Beefheart.
Thu 20: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Featuring special guest Zoë Gilby.

Fri 21: JazzMain @ 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: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. TBC.
Fri 21: Emma Rawicz w. Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

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, December 29, 2019

Gigs of the Year - James Metcalf


 1.           Ingrid and Christine Jensen with the Whirlwind Recordings  Orchestra at  the Bonningdon Theatre, Nottingham (14th of November) My favourite living trumpet  player, one of the best alto players and composers working today, a truly all-star big band  of top tier British and American musicians and £5 student tickets. Nice. 

      2.        Tom Harrell Quartet at Ronnie Scotts, London (7th of October) One of the true players' players and another personal idol, fronting what is in my opinion the most slept on band in New York featuring Danny Grissett, Ugonna Okegwo, Johnathan Blake and (unfortunately absent from this gig) Wayne Escoffery. The last ten years may well have been the most fruitful period yet for Harrell's compositions and he shows no sign of slowing as he approaches 74. If Escoffery or regular collaborator Charles Altura had managed to put in an appearance this would have been gig of the year no question.


3.      Jochen Rueckert Quartet at Malta Jazz Festival (18th of July) I went into this gig thinking Mike Moreno was pretty good, I came out utterly in awe of him. There's a reason my pal Francis Tulip won’t shut up about Moreno, he's every bit as good as Frank hypes him up to be and better. The other two members of the band on this occasion were the equally legendary Chris Cheek and Matt Penman. Kiwi-born Penman mentioned he has family ties to the North East, anyone reckon they could get him to bring a band on his next visit?

4.      Kenny Garrett Quintet at Malta Jazz Festival (20th of July) This man needs no introduction. Hearing The Real Kenny G and band play tunes from across his varied career was every bit as phenomenal as you'd expect and was the perfect way to close this year's Malta Jazz Festival, which has hosted plenty of other renowned bands over the years for a surprisingly low price (with cheap flights from Newcastle to boot). Would recommend. I'm to the right of the photo with Francis, centre, and Kenny Garrett , left.

5.      Terrence Blanchard and the E-Collective at CBSO Centre, Birmingham (29th of March) An early hero of mine playing hard grooving music with an incredible band (Featuring the aforementioned Charles Altura) and a light show to match, Blanchard left as deep an impression on me here as he did 3 years ago at Sage Gateshead.

6.      Unity Quartet at Peggy's Skylight, Nottingham (30th of March) Nottingham based Piano/Organ player Matt Radcliffe's quartet paying tribute to Larry Young's 1965 classic Unity, featuring some of the best of the current Birmingham scene, namely: Chris Bowden (Tenor), Tymek Jozwiak (drums) and top UK trumpet player Percy Pursglove. Shoutout to DJ Hemulen for a banger-filled Jazz/Latin/Afrobeat set afterwards as well.

7.      Nadim Teimoori Quintet at Peggy's Skylight, Nottingham (January or February) This was originally intended to be a quartet gig as part of Hugh Pascall's ever popular residency at Peggy's until Nadim Teimoori was invited to join the band, with gig being relisted under his name. The result was two sets of pure gold from Hugh and Nadim, alongside John Turville, James Owston and Euan Palmer. In the end the band clicked so well that Teimoori has made this his working quintet. I may have heard rumours of a possible future recording which if true will be an absolute winner, but either way this band is definitely one to watch.

8.       Hugh Pascall Quartet at Peggy's Skylight, Nottingham (28th of March) If Hugh lived in London or Birmingham, you would likely know his name. Once a month the undeservedly obscure Nottingham legend gathers a quartet from the best of the London and Birmingham scenes to run through selected tunes from a varied repertoire ranging from Cole Porter to Kenny Wheeler and beyond. This particular edition featured Rick Simpson, Dave Whitford and Tim Giles although in the year and a half or so that this residency has been running it has also featured John Turville, Chris Young, Nick Jurd, James Owston, Jim Bashford, Euan Palmer, Will Glaser and many more...

9.      Xhosa Cole Quartet at Cherry Red's Birmingham (23rd of January) My first and possibly my most memorable night in Brum, the then recently crowned BBC Young Jazz Musician Xhosa worked through 2 sets of incredibly sincere hard bop backed by an equally brilliant rhythm section. This was probably the most densely packed venue I have been in and a definite contender for the best gig atmosphere I have ever experienced.

10.  AKU! at Durham Jazz Festival (9th of June) Three of the best twentysomething musicians this country has to offer playing jazz you can mosh to, oioi. #MakeDoomJazzGreatAgain #Wei.
      James


2 comments :

Anonymous said...

Great list! List of the year... Lovely words to go with each gig too. Lez

Lance said...

Agreed
100%!

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