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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

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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.

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

Friday, January 31, 2020

“My Delight” – a triple bill @ Micklegate Social, York - January 29.

(Review by Jerry)

York is a bit off BSH readers’ normal turf but it’s worth flagging up a new venue and recommending that you check it out if you are ever in the city. Micklegate Social is one of the first buildings inside the wall at Micklegate: the staff are friendly, the beer is good and the jazz is downstairs in an atmospheric cellar-room.

Organiser of tonight’s gig, Faye Thompson, IS well-known to BSH readers from Earlybird , Jambone and more recently, Jazzy Christmas. Her enterprise as a youthful impresario also deserves to be acknowledged.  In fact, “youthful” was a key word tonight with Paul Edis looking positively avuncular when the gig morphed into a jam session after his solo set. And if the musicians were young, the audience seemed even more fresh-faced – to the extent that Paul prefaced his usual mid-set sales pitch with the anxious question: “Do any of you still buy CD’s?” It is reassuring to see jazz performed by talented youngsters and applauded by friends and fellow students: it has a future!

Paul Edis (piano/vocals).

Paul Edis’ solo set  I will skim over with indecent haste (sorry, Paul) for two reasons: firstly, for me, tonight was mostly about the other musicians on the bill; secondly other BSH contributors have run out of superlatives reviewing his work and there is little else I can sensibly add. There were 11 tunes varying from Giant Steps to Greensleeves; there were 4 numbers with vocals; there were standards like I Could Have Danced All Night and there were originals such as the spellbinding Vignette. All were hugely enjoyable.

Prior to this set the audience of 40 + was entertained by two quartets comprising seven young musicians (only seven because electric bass player, Lukas Kamm, featured in both combos) who showcased their musicianship in well-known pieces and their compositional skills by way of a couple of original tunes.

Owen Russell (trombone); Richie Haynes (guitar); Lukas Kamm (electric bass); Susan Rutter (drums).

First up was the trombone-led Owen Russell Quartet who opened with one such original – a ballad entitled One Moment Please. This featured clear, smooth trombone (which put me in mind of Black Orpheus), a fluent electric bass solo which got good applause and subtle brush-work by drummer, Susan Rutter.

Stella by Starlight upped the tempo and gave us trombone with a bit more “edge”. One forgets, when the trombone is tucked in with the other horns (seldom occupying centre stage), how expressive an instrument it can be. Owen Russell demonstrated that expressiveness admirably and Richie Haynes also shone here with a clean-picking, foot-tapping guitar solo while some trading fours gave the drummer some scope too.

Their third number was, I think, Where Do We Go from Here? Which my wife adjudged to be “particularly lovely”. Here the drummer used timpani mallets and I could not help but notice how attentively she watched her fellow musicians while playing, keeping everything together. That togetherness was to the fore on their final number – a rabble-rousing take on Sonny Rollin’s Oleo with funky electric bass, another fine guitar solo, more fours and a well-timed snap ending.

Faye Thompson (alto sax); Lukas Kamm (electric bass); Rebecca Hall (piano); ??? (drums).

Hank Mobley’s This I Dig of You was the wake ‘em up call opening the set by the Faye Thompson Quartet. This immediately re-kindled the lively mood and loud applause. “Steady on”, I thought, “they’ll be whooping and cheering next! How un-British!”  And then they were (whooping, that is) after a cracking version of Strayhorn’s U.M.M.G featuring a solo sax intro, lots of fours for the drummer (whose name I missed) to strut his stuff. Ironically, I managed to miss the drummer’s name as he continued drumming (albeit quietly) through Faye’s name-check! I’ll listen harder next time!

Double praise next for Faye Thompson’s mellow sax on her own original composition, Clouded Hills(?), a beautiful lyrical ballad. There was some excellent piano from Rebecca Hall, too, really capturing the mood. A piano solo, next time, would be nice!

Then (all too soon, in my opinion) it was Sonny Rollins to finish again with the catchy, St. Thomas. Google tells me that this was based on The Lincolnshire Poacher via a Virgin Islands nursery rhyme. Eh? Someone will need to guide me through that one: I know that folk tune by heart and honestly cannot see the connection. However, I would have to say that since Rollins and Faye got their hands on it it’s a much better tune than when I sang it with my Nan in Grantham!

At this point – past our bed-time as the token senior citizens in the audience – we had to leave. We missed three “jam-style” numbers which were, I am told, excellent too. Wish we’d been there!

So, congrats to Micklegate Social and to Faye (and the guy I chatted to in the bar) for organising the gig and to all the musicians who played. A delightful evening!
Jerry

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