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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

17755 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 76 of them this year alone and, so far, 1 this month (Feb.1).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Lewis Watson Quartet @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Latin jazz/top-rated dance bands.
Thu 06: Rose Room @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 06: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Helen Barber (vocals) & Alex Moon (piano).
Thu 06: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. Guests: Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Donna Hewitt (alto sax); Kevin Eland (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. The session is now monthly, first Thursday in the month.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Old Lowlight, Clifford’s Fort, North Shields NE30 1JE. 7:00pm. £15.00. + bf. www.oldlowlight.co.uk. SOLD OUT!
Fri 07: Stuart Turner Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Jazz, blues, Americana etc.
Fri 07: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 07: Rose Room @ Wylam Institute. 8:00pm. £19.67.
Fri 07: John Rowland Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 08: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’.
Sat 08: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra event. All welcome.

Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

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.

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, February 22, 2020

Newcastle University Jazz @ Culture Lab, Newcastle - Feb 21

(Review by Russell)

On a rainy, windblown Friday evening just off Barras Bridge, Culture Lab's discreet door stood ajar ready to welcome those who were interested in hearing a newly formed band's debut performance. Jason Holcomb has been busy assembling a big band to take its place alongside the region's many fine jazz orchestras. Newcastle University Jazz is the name, a name which could easily cause confusion given that the long-established, on-campus student band is known as Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra! 


It isn't unusual to find a new outfit short on numbers in one section and perhaps oversubscribed in another. This was the case with Newcastle University Jazz - four reeds, just the three 'bones, six trumpets and a regulation compliment in the engine room of guitar, piano, bass and drums. MD Holcomb explained the remit; a professionally-led, educational ensemble offering performance opportunities to young musicians.   

Oliver Nelson's Emancipation Blues introduced Newcastle University jazz to the world. A white-jacketed Holcomb conducted his charges with no little enthusiasm, clearly delighted with the sound emanating from the stage in Culture Lab's Ballroom. Trumpeter Joe Fleet will remember the occasion as he was the first to step up to the plate. Collective nerves settled, NU Jazz romped through Sweet Georgia Brown (comp. Ben Bernie) with Chris Fox (tenor sax) in the spotlight.  

MD Holcomb's set list drew on the many decades of material utilised by big bands the world over. Harlem Nocturne composed by Hagen and Rogers for Ray Noble and a Sammy Nestico arrangement of Fly Me to the Moon enabled the band's section work to be heard by an attentive Friday evening audience. Gershwin's Fascinating Rhythm and Quincy Jones' For Lena and Lenny (arr. S. Nestico) maintained the familiarity which was a good idea. Familiar material, well-executed solos (NU Jazz's soloists included equally familiar faces - recent graduate Sam Fox playing tenor sax and undergradute trumpeter Tom Alcorn who doesn't shy away from the top C stuff, to name but two), all in all things were shaping up well.

MD Holcomb took time to name-check the ensemble before going out on Venon Duke's April in Paris and Juan Tizol's rabble-rousing Caravan. Newcastle University Jazz can be heard at Newcastle Jazz Co-op's Railway St HQ on March 15. 
Russell

Newcastle University Jazz: Jason Holcomb MD; Tom Alcorn, Oli Heath, Jasmine Smith, Lisa Davison, Abigail Brierley, Joe Fleet (trumpets); Laura Davison, Kate Garnett, Alex Utting (trombones); Sam Fox, David Johnson, Chris Fox, Ted Mitchell (saxophones); Lukas Carey (guitar); Alys John (keyboards); George Comber (bass guitar); Alex Reid (drums) 

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