Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 2026)

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

19,066 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 930 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 31) 109.

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

From This Moment On

November

Sat 07: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Ewan Bleach’s Cable Street Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington.
12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Superb band.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Find Your Pocket: Funk & Groove. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café, St James’ Retail Park, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 6:00pm.

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 11: Plague Doctors Cure All + Noonward @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: JANE @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 12: MoonMot + Jack Banjo’s Snackwall @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 12: Ratio: Swingin’ Through the Decades @ The Forum, Darlington. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. A charity fundraiser.
Thu 12: Look Left @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Thu 12: Michael Woods @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Acoustic blues.

Fri 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Giles Strong (guitar); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 13: Lapwing Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Richard Herdman, Jude Murphy, Paula Whitty.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Hexham Lantern Parade, Bandstand, Sele, Hexham. 6:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Sharp Collective @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm.
Fri 13: East Coast Swing Band @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 13: Guisborough Big Band @ Saltburn Golf Club. 7:30pm. Tickets: £15.00 (inc. pie & peas

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Farewell Lee Konitz (1927 - 2020)

The sad news has broken that alto sax legend Lee Konitz died yesterday (April 15) - yet another victim of Covid.

Konitz first came to prominence with Miles Davis' innovative Birth of the Cool band before taking to the road with Stan Kenton, studying with Lennie Tristano and recording in many settings.
I first saw him at Newcastle City Hall in a 1958 package - Jazz From Carnegie Hall - that, apart from Lee, included Zoot Sims, J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding. Some years later, in 1975, he played alongside fellow Tristano-ite Warne Marsh at the Corner House in Whitley Bay. This was one of those iconic sessions that is still talked about today by those old enough to remember.

Another moment to remember was in 1978 at Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough, with the Bill Evans Trio.

The last time I saw Lee Konitz was at Pizza Express in May, 2010, where, after a hesitant start he finally got into his stride alongside Dan Tepfer (piano), Michael Janisch (bass) and Jeff Williams (drums).
Four different sessions, all memorable. But, that night in Whitley Bay...!

Lee Konitz was 92 - may he rest in peace. 
Lance.

Syncopated Times obituary.

3 comments :

Steve T said...

Quite amazing that he played on the Birth of the Cool Sessions from 1949.
I saw him twice in his later years.
The first time was at the London Jazz Festival where he was fluid, playing brilliantly and charismatic.
The second was at the Cheltenham Festival just eighteen months later and was very different. He managed to find a chair and spent most of the time sat on it, occasionally playing his horn but mostly singing and scatting. Co-leader Dave Douglas was amazing and clearly found it all hilarious, but bass player Linda Oh, set to embark on an international tour with them (and due to play the Sage round about now),looked terrified.
Anybody tempted to write a list of the top ten greatest living jazz artists may find it quite different from just a few weeks ago.

Peter Bevan said...

Lee also appeared twice at Darlington Arts Centre.
The first occasion was Saturday 21 October 1989 as part of the Fourth Darlington Jazz & Blues Festival. On that occasion he was backed by John Taylor, Mick Hutton and Steve Arguelles. His programme included Star Eyes, Here's That Rainy Day, Chick Came Around, Moonlight in Vermont, All the Things You Are, Days of Wine and Roses and a ballad medley.

The second was on Friday 29 January 1999 a part of Kenny Wheeler's Angel Song tour organised by the Arts Council's Contemporary Music Network. The band was completed by John Abercrombie (replacing Bill Frisell) and Dave Holland.

Russell said...

Peter- do you happen to know why Frisell didn't make the gig?

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