Total Pageviews

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

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Acoustic Infusion @ Dormans Jazz Club Middlesbrough-March 5

Richie Emmerson, Alan Thompson (tenor/soprano sax); Rick Loughlin (keys/synth.); Bruce Rollo (double bass); Ian Halford (drums).
(Review/photo by Ron H)

Paying tribute to the great bebop saxophonists, this line up of musicians delighted the large audience with both the choice of numbers and the quality of musicianship, and thus keeping up the high standard of our guest band nights.

An up tempo Cheese Cake from the Dexter Gordon Go album started the night in fine style with exciting solos from both Richie and Alan on tenors, Rick on keys and synthesizer and all with excellent backing  from Bruce on bass and Ian on drums, This set the standard for what was to follow.


By contrast, the moody Benny Golson's Whisper Not, with Alan on soprano,  slowed things down before the tempo was raised again with Wayne Shorter's Black Nile giving Ian the  chance to kick the kit around. After the driving Blues March, Alan was featured playing tenor on the  beautifully melodic Rainbow People.

The classic Sonny Rollins' Doxy featured the two tenors and a fine bass solo from Bruce. The set was brought to a close with the Latinish Catalonia Nights that included a dramatic synthesizer solo from Rick.

Sonny Rollins' Tenor Madness was an appropriate number to start the second set with Richie and Alan providing the (musical) madness. After Oliver Nelson's version of Stolen Moments  with Richie on soprano the band then took Coltrane's Some Other Blues apart with great dynamics and wonderful interplay between all members before putting it back together again.

Richie proved that, despite the title, You Don't Know What Love Is, he most certainly could blow lovingly on a ballad as did Rick on keys. 

Dexter Gordon's swinging Montmartre was followed by Joe Henderson's oft-played composition -  Recorda Me  (Remember Me).

After such a successful night, an encore was demanded and Mr PC with intro from Rick and terrific solos all round, brought the evening to a close.

Once again the guest band with Rick as musical director proved their worth by playing some of the best and most exciting bebop arrangements  heard in the club providing the audience with a memorable night of music.

Again our thanks must go to the management and staff of Dormans Club for their help and support with this weekly jazz event.

Ron H   

No comments :

Blog Archive