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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, 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

17957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 278 of them this year alone and, so far, 34 this month (April 14).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 21: Newcastle Record Fair @ Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. 10:00am. Going in search of the Buddy Bolden cylinder…
Mon 21: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

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, February 21, 2020

Gaz Hughes Sextet @ Gosforth Civic Theatre - Feb. 20 - "The Best Gig I Never Seen!"

(Review by Lance/Black and white photos courtesy of Malcolm Sinclair - link.)

When I was a child my dad used to take me to Roker Park or St. James' Park on alternative Saturdays. Back then we had no tribal affiliations we just wanted to watch a game of football played by guys who weren't millionaires. To get to the front and see the game, us kids were hoisted shoulder high and passed overhead until we were at the front and able to watch the game.

That flashbacked into my mind last night at Gosforth Civic Theatre as, whilst I enjoyed the music, I wasn't so keen on the burly bodies sitting in front of me.


Now I aint' got no (I know double neg!) complaints against  them, like myself they grabbed a seat and sat back.

The problem was that, for some reason, the band were set up at ground level and, even from row 7, I had no idea what colour tie Alan Barnes was wearing or if indeed he was naked from the neck down!

The paradoxical thing is that there is a stage that has supported big bands so, even given the portly figures of Barnes and Adams, the structure should still pass all health and safety regulations.

However, enough of that - the music was great.

Just as any drummer who covers Buddy Rich is tilting at windmills a similar Don Quixote situation applies in the case of Art Blakey.

Gaz Hughes is a fine drummer and, wisely, he didn't try to emulate Blakey but, instead, put his own feel on the great drummer's music. The three horns had it down to a tee with Masser particularly impressive. Fine piano, a bassist with a tone to die for and a great ensemble sound.

I will go into more detail when I review the CD.
Lance
(Colour photos courtesy of Ken Drew - link).

Alan Barnes (alto/baritone sax); Bruce Adams (trumpet); Dean Masser (tenor sax); Andrzej Baranek (piano); Ed Harrison (bass); Gareth Hughes (drums).

3 comments :

stevebfc said...

The most bizarre 'tribute' gig I have been too. Inspector Blakey from On the Buses got as many name checks as the great drummer did from band leader Hughes. A grand total of zero mentions no explanations given as to the inspiration of the project or which albums the selected tunes came from. I was lucky enough to see The real Art Blakey band on several occasions and to this day they are most exciting and exhilarating gigs I have ever been from the first hit of the cymbal to the last. Maybe that was why the great man's name was never mentioned so that no one would make the comparison between the real Art and the fake.

Lance said...

Stop Moanin' Steve (H)!

Steve H said...

Don't shoot the messenger

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