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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17921 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 242 of them this year alone and, so far, 89 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 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

Saturday, January 25, 2020

The Dean Masser Quartet @ The Gala Theatre, Durham - Jan 24

Dean Masser (tenor sax); Dean Stockdale (piano); Ed Harrison (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums)
(Review by Russell/ Photos courtesy of Malcolm Sinclair - link.

Print and online publicity for Friday's two gigs in a day featuring an all-star quartet - a lunchtime concert at Durham's Gala Theatre followed by an evening engagement at Opus 4 Jazz Club in Darlington - ranged from Dean Masser Quartet to Dean Masser-Dean Stockdale Quartet to Dean Masser with the Dean Stockdale Trio to Dean Stockdale Trio with Dean Masser...what's in a name? Especially as the Gala Theatre concert was, as usual, an advance sell out and the Traveller's Rest invariably pulls a good crowd.

Lugubrious tenor saxophonist Dean Masser, suited and booted, fronted the quartet - yep, let's settle for the Dean Masser Quartet. The other Dean, pianist Dean Stockdale, introduced some of the numbers leaving Dean M to crack a few jokes in between playing superb, straight-down-the-middle tenor sax. A set list comprising eight numbers with a mere sixty minutes to play them, Masser and co opened with Jimmy Van Heusen's It Could Happen to You. Dean M laid down a marker, Dean S followed, bassist Ed Harrison introduced himself and a classy round of fours confirmed Gaz Hughes* as an A-lister. 

Masser informed the capacity audience: Dexter Gordon is one my my saxophone heroes. Good, odds on, yes...Cheese Cake. Excellent. This is the sort of gig you eagerly await and, sure enough, it was worth waiting for. Alone Together featured a tenor sax-double bass exchange with bassist Harrison strolling through it. Impressive stuff!


Dean M spoke about another of his heroes - Joe Henderson. Recorda Me never fails to hit the spot at a gig or jam session and here at the Gala it wasn't any different with Dean S laying down a fine solo with sensitive supporting bass and drums. With one eye on the clock Masser jettisoned On Green Dolphin Street (there would be time to play it down the road in Darlington) in favour of Bud Powell's early bop chart Webb City (subsequently recorded by many others including Art Pepper, Sonny Stitt and John Dankworth in his 'Johnny Dankworth' days). Wasting no time, Masser went straight into St Thomas. It is reasonable to assume Mr S Rollins is another hero. 

It had been a great start to the Gala Theatre's 2020 lunchtime jazz concert series. February's concert (Friday 28, 1:00pm) presents John Garner, violin, and pianist Paul Edis performing a set inspired by the music of Bill Evans. The one hour performance will be another advance sellout. As folk made their way out of the Gala they stopped at the box office to book their tickets for February's concert. If you hesitate all tickets will be gone in no time. Book now on 03000 266 600

Russell
Drummer Gaz Hughes has put together a nationwide tour to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Art Blakey. It's a real old school tour with no fewer than thirty one dates in the book. What's more,  Alan Barnes and Bruce Adams will be on most of them including a performance at Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle on Thursday February 20     

1 comment :

Stephen Andrews said...

I played a couple of gigs with Ed Harrison in December. A very fine bass-player!

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