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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sat 21: Jason Holcomb Jazz Ensemble @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 5:30-7:30pm. Free. A 'Sunderland Year of Music' event.
Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

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, December 07, 2019

Steve Hackett Encore @ Newcastle City Hall 12/11/20

Following his triumphant gig at Sage Gateshead last month, the former Genesis guitarist has announced dates for next year, including - surprise surprise - Newcastle.

This time he's playing Seconds Out; his final album with the band, though he'd left by the time of its release. It's a double (vinyl) album which should be considered one of the greatest live rock albums ever, despite some seriously dodgy singing from Phil on seven tracks from the Gabriel era (including three from Selling England and the twenty three minute Supper's Ready) plus five from the two studio albums since he'd left, including one instrumental.  

Seconds Out featured Bill Bruford on drums (Yes, King Crimson, UK, Bruford, Earthworks) so Hackett's drummer is going to have his work cut out on the mammoth drum duels between two of rocks finest jazz influenced drummers, on the instrumental section of Cinema Show and Los Endos.

Anybody planning on going - and I strongly recommend you should - there are no decent seats left and soon there won't be any.
Steve T.

4 comments :

Billy Montgomery said...

I used to like this blog when it was all about jazz and the only Hackett mentioned was Bobby Hackett!

Russell said...

Well said, Bill. I understand Steve has an appointment with his GP to discuss his 'prog rock' affliction. As for 'Phil', I'd no more refer to Collins as 'Phil' than I would refer to effing Johnson as 'Boris'.

Steve T said...

This is about jazz. Jazzwise never goes a month without talking about progrock and often reviews prog albums, and not just the jazzier end. Don't recall seeing any reviews of Michael albums. In the early seventies jazz-rock - the premier jazz style of the time - and progrock weren't so much cousins as twins. The progrock revival is very much in line with the resurgence of interest in jazz and many of the young jazz musicians admit to major influences from progrock. A focus on musicianship and composition rather than verse chorus haircut should be welcome to jazzers. Part of the problem is that the nostalgia media attempted to present progrock as what happened between the Beatles and punkrock, but that was glamrock and prog was more in line with jazz, soul, funk, blues, reggae etc and only really hit the pop charts in the late seventies when it had - allegedly - imploded.

stevebfc said...

Bebop Spoken here
Is a blog that nobody should fear
You may at first get a shock
With reviews of Buble and Prog Rock
But the sites good intentions are clear

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