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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

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

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones - 1975.
Thu 20: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 20: Orange Claw Hammer + Peony @ The Globe, Newcastle.7:30pm. Orange Claw Hammer play Captain Beefheart.
Thu 20: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Featuring special guest Zoë Gilby.

Fri 21: JazzMain @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. TBC.
Fri 21: Emma Rawicz w. Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Mississippi MacDonald @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Blues.
Sat 22: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm. £16.50. SOLD OUT!
Sat 22: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

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.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

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)

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...

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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