Bebop Spoken There

Warne Marsh: "At some point, you have to be prepared to create—to perform. It's vital, man, if we're talking about jazz, the original jazz, the performing art. It fulfils its meaning only when you play it live in front of an audience." DownBeat January 1983.

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

18191 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 45 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 14), 45

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 17: Homer’s Lane + John Garner & John Pope @ St John’s Church, Riding Mill. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. Gabriele Heller’s audio play + Garner & Pope.
Sat 17: Martyn Roper @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. Roper’s ‘One Man Blues Band’.
Sat 17: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Alexia Gardner Trio @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). Gardner, Alan Law & Jude Murphy.

Sun 18: Louis Louis Louis @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 2:00pm (doors). £15.00. Swing, jump jive, rhythm & blues. Fundraiser for St Oswald’s Hospice.
Sun 18: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Rod Sinclair.
Sun 18: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Herdman-Strong Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence, Paul Grainger, Joe Deans.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 21: 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

Monday, April 27, 2020

Intoxication Blues with Lindsay Hannon - April 27

Lindsay Hannon's weekly Monday night live stream session got off to a good start. For starters our vocalist was more or less on time (7:15). What's more the audio-visual was more or less in sync. No, truthfully, it wasn't so good. Then, as is Facebook's wont, the screen froze with Lindsay rendered motionless and mute. 

Much clicking, rebooting or whatever the tech geek term is, then, success! Back to the start, this time half an hour or so without too many glitches. Where were we? Ah, yes, Lindsay drinking, talking about intoxication (blues). Vera Hall's I Been Drinkin' (she sure had!) was all about drinkin' and drinkin'. Your reviewer had just opened a first bottle of Fuller's ESB. Cheers, Lindsay! 

Shakers in her left hand, shakers in her right, Lindsay seemed confused between left and right! Opting to shake it in her left, our live stream host promptly shook it in her right! What's that about I been drinkin'? Yes, we got Leadbelly's Take a Whiff on Me with right hand shaker rhythmic accompaniment.       

Prisoner Blues or I Been a Bad, Bad Girl went way back to 1930s' American penitentiaries as Lindsay sang one of only two known recorded tracks by Ozella Jones. Our host referred to Alan Lomax's field trip. On that occasion down in Florida the well-known archivist was assisted by Zora Neale Hurston. 

Our Monday evening blues session concluded with a Janis Joplin number, the subject, as throughout this half hour survey of women singing the blues...drinking. Lindsay hollered What Good Can Drinkin' Do? Don't ask me, guv'nor, I'm off to the kitchen to grab another Fuller's.   
Russell  

1 comment :

Lance said...

One of my favourite drinking numbers is Louis Jordan's "What's the Use of Getting Sober when You're Gonna Get Drunk Again? Maybe yet another list - this time of drinking songs - The Student Prince is excluded!

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