Total Pageviews

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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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, April 18, 2020

James and Francis' New list idea: Ten favourite improvisers, not necessarily ones who are considered the greats...

1. Joe Henderson; 2. Freddie Hubbard; 3. Woody Shaw; 4. Trane; 5. Sonny Rollins; 6. Kenny Barron; 7. Tom Harrell; 8. Stan Getz; 9. Bird; 10. Booker Little
(James Metcalf)

----- 

1. Joe Henderson; 2. Freddie Hubbard; 3. Mike Moreno; 4. Trane; 5. Kenny Garrett; 6. McCoy Tyner; 7. Herbie Hancock; 8.Chick Corea; 9. Wayne Shorter; 10. Sonny Rollins
(Francis Tulip)
at

6 comments :

Lance said...

Great lists. And I think that all of the above would, today, be rated as greats. This opens another train (Trane?) of thought. Perhaps some of our older listeners, i.e. those younger than me, might care to offer their lists of favourites from earlier decades - come in Methuselah...

Saturday, April 18, 2020 10:47:00 pm
Steve Andrews said...

Hi Lance, Methuselah here! This is my list, written at twenty to one over the remains of a large vegetarian Grouse (a Famous Grouse) - by tomorrow it will probably have changed! In no particular order: Louis Armstrong (no.1, absolutely!!!), Bix Beiderbecke, Henry "Red" Allen, Coleman Hawkins, Lester "Red" or "Pres" Young, Benny Carter, Artie Shaw, Teddy Wilson, George van Eps, Stuff Smith.

Sunday, April 19, 2020 12:43:00 am
Russell said...

Favourite rather than greatest - there is an endless list! Ten, off the top of my head, no particular order...Lewis Watson (in full flight, no one better!), Roland Kirk (ditto), Louis Armstrong, Taylor Ho Bynum (check him out, James!), Paul Rutherford, John Zorn, Graeme Wilson, Paul Edis, Joe Morris (check him out, Francis!), James Birkett (a master improviser on a melody).

Sunday, April 19, 2020 8:46:00 am
Steve T said...

Ten great improvisers: Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Fats Navarro, Bud Powell, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, John McLaughlin.

Ten favourite jazz artists, not on previous lists: Ben Webster, Gerry Mulligan, Clifford Brown, Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, Joe Zawinul, Eddie Henderson, Stanley Clarke, Zakir Hussain, David Murray.

Sunday, April 19, 2020 6:28:00 pm
Lance said...

Ten favourite tenor players - not necessarily the greatest but the ones that float my boat the most with apologies to Wayne, Trane, Sonny, Joe and Hawk.

In alphabetical order: Ben Webster; Brew Moore; Dexter Gordon; Guy Lafitte; Hank Mobley; Lester Young; Stan Getz; Tubby Hayes; Wardell Gray; Zoot Sims.

Living tenor players still active: Benny Golson; Courtney Pine, Dave O'Higgins; Eric Alexander; Karen Sharp: Leo Richardson; Paul Booth; Simon Spillett; Troy Roberts; Vasilis Xenopoulos.

Monday, April 20, 2020 1:07:00 pm
Steve T said...

Ten names I'm surprised didn't make either of the 'lists' posts:
Roy Eldridge, Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli, Art Tatum, Bill Evans, Ornette Coleman, Dave Holland, Keith Jarrett, Jaco Pastorius, Kurt Rosenwinkel.
Not to mention all those drummers.

Saturday, April 25, 2020 4:27:00 pm

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive