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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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

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. SOLD OUT!
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.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Thursday, December 05, 2019

Jam session @ The Dun Cow - Dec 4

(Review by Russell)

MC Paul Grainger had a big bucks (if only!) gig elsewhere and was quite content to leave this month's Dun Cow jam session in the more than capable hands of Giles Strong. Assisting our Tyne Valley master guitarist on a cold but dry evening were two of the very best - bassist Mick Shoulder and drummer Abbie Finn. 

The usual faces plus a few students turned out to listen and, almost without exception, sat with coats on - it was rather cold! Alone TogetherDays of Wine and Roses and Love for Sale warmed up the trio and the hardy audience. Young tenor saxophonist Harry Keeble couldn't wait to get going, first with St Thomas (Mick Shoulder's slap bass solo something of a rarity at a jam session) following up with Nica's Dream. HK would return.

Stax Brothers' Jeff put in an appearance - In a Mellotone with a full-toned tenor sound and, inquiring of Strong if he knew A Smooth One, our master guitarist nodded, he knew it alright! - and it would be good to see him pitch in at other sessions around town. 

Kay Usher arrived, plugged in and, typical of our violinist, didn't overstay her welcome. This evening's contribution - Out of Nowhere and Dindi - with Kay, as classical musicians do, applauding her fellow musicians for their expert supporting contribution. 

A brief interval then up stepped the third of the session's tenor players - George Sykes. Coltrane's Lonnie's Lament (Sykes confided this was his first public airing of the number) and Night in Tunisia with Joel Shaw spelling Abbie Finn. 

Keeble joined Sykes for, as someone said, 'a sax frenzy' - cue There Will Never be Another You. Excellent playing all round. Sykes sat out as Keeble tore into Giant Steps. A definite highlight, not only did Keeble tear it up, Strong demonstrated why he is an A-lister with some scintillating work. At its conclusion GS scratched his head as if to say: How did I manage to negotiate that?! 

And that was about it save for a Now's the Time blues. Abbie Finn back behind the traps (in Max Roach fizzing cymbals mode), Harry and George trading, Giles and Mick purring, this was as good a finale as one could hope for.    
Russell
      
Giles Strong (guitar); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums) + Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Stax brothers' Jeff (tenor sax); George Sykes (tenor sax); Kay Usher (violin); Joel Shaw (drums). 

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