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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.

Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Only Six Standards.
Thu 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Fri 18: Alexia Gardner @ Fika Gallery, Oldgate, Morpeth NE61 1LT. 7:00pm. Trio (Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy).RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13

Fri 18: Sarah Jane Morris & Tony Remy: The Sisterhood @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. CANCELLED! 7:30pm (doors). £25.00.

Sat 19: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 19: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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!

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

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Tonight's Blue Note: Freddie Hubbard - The Night of the Cookers

Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard (trumpets); James Spaulding (alto sax/flute); Harold Mabern Jr. (piano); Larry Ridley (bass); Pete La Roca (drums); Big Black (congas).

Four sides recorded live in Brooklyn at the Club La Marchal in 1965 and issued on two LPs, sees the label's top two trumpet players of the day tearing it up much to the delight of the crowd. Unfortunately, like so many live sessions, the atmosphere doesn't quite come across so well in the living room.


Clare Fischer's Pensativa has Morgan and Hubbard seemingly intent on  seeing how many variations they can make out of Camptown Races in a mad free-fall that goes on for about 10 minutes. This was the kind of Pier 6 brawl normally associated with tenor players and longshoremen! If I'd had a ringside seat - and I use the term advisedly - I'd have been on my feet cheering. Who won? Who cares? The horns were locked so intently I lost track of who was who! Underneath it all, Big Black was having his own Latin party.

Hubbard dropped out for Walkin' and Morgan was initially more restrained with Spaulding the one going for the jugular on alto. He'd been listening to Dolphy and Trane I guess although he also slipped in one of Bird's favourite quotes - Country Gardens. This really was a walk on the wild side!

La Roca, Big Black, Spaulding and Morgan kicked the fours around and even in the relative tranquility of my music space the furniture seemed to be jumping - or maybe it was the neighbours knocking (I joke, I've got good neighbours - everybody needs them these days!)

Morgan sits out on Volume Two's opener which, according to Jepson, took place the day before. Hubbard is at his finest here. Jodo, an original, sees him cutting loose without having to meet the challenge of one of his peers and he blows like Armageddon is around the corner. It wasn't then but maybe it is now! However, if Freddie thought it was safe to go into the water he was wrong. Spaulding was firing on all cylinders and he made it clear that he too was up for a battle.

Immune to what was going on up front and behind, Mabern insured a degree of sanity prevailed before La Roca kicked seven shades out of the kit and  Big Black doubled that on congas!

Breaking Point saw Mabern at his finest and how grateful we surely are that he was on the scene for another 54 years. After Harold's solo it, once more became the Big Black Show!

A couple of albums I would surely cherish if I'd been in a club in Brooklyn in 1965 and, even now, they're not without charm although the excitement of a live gig that would have had you dancing on the tables cannot quite be replicated by dancing on your IKEA Chippendale flat pack coffee table without a safety net.

If you're strapped, seek out volume One.
Incidentally, being a live recording, the sound quality is far below the normal Blue Note studio sessions.
Lance.
PS: This is one of my favourite album titles - not least because it inspired a band of veteran Blue Note Alumni - The Cookers

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