Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 2026)

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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

From This Moment On

August

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 21: Andrzej Baranek Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. £8.00. Andrzej Baranek (piano); Josh Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: David Gray Flextet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 21: Errol Linton & His Band + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Excellent blues double bill.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Christmas @ Sage Gateshead - Dec. 21 (afternoon performance)

 (Review by Lance/Photos courtesy of Malcolm Sinclair)

Well what can I say? Steve's review of last night's gig at Ushaw summed it up perfectly so, rather than act as an echo, I'll merely mention a couple of things that he didn't.

Firstly, I'm told that the Ushaw gig pulled in even more punters than Alan Barnes did on his last gig at the venue. To outdraw Alan Barnes anywhere is surely worthy of a place in the jazz equivelant of the Guinness Book of Records!

Given that the Sage Gateshead gig I'm reviewing was an afternoon event it enabled Paul to draw a couple of delightful children on stage to shake jingle bells along with the band. The two girls loved it and so did the audience.


The Carol of the Bells featured Megan on piccolo but also had all of the horns playing a Mozartian fugue-like arrangement.

The second set opened with the trio playing tribute to Bill Evans with Santa Claus is Coming to Town! Blue Monk and, was it Whirlybird Foo Birds (Flight of the) from the Atomic Mr Basie that somehow crept in and did no harm at all?

Jo and Paul - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. We already had, this was the icing on top of the marzipan. 

In three years this show has gone from one to four appearances and most of them playing to near capacity crowds. Next year they should start touring it in September except these musicians are so much in demand that Christmas would have to be shifted around the calender to suit them!
Lance
Paul Edis (piano/vocal); Jo Harrop (vocal); Emma Fisk (violin); Matt Anderson (tenor/soprano saxes); Graham Hardy (trumpet/flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone); Megan Robinson (flute/piccolo); Faye Thompson (alto sax/clarinet); Francis Tulip (guitar); Andy Champion (bass); Russ Morgan (drums).

1 comment :

Steve T said...

I bet you think I was still at the bar and missed the Bill Evans piano trio.

Blog Archive