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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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. .

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.

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

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Paul Edis: ICMuS LIVE Concert at Home - May 28

Paul Edis (piano)

As the Covid-19 lockdown was imposed in March it brought an abrupt halt to Newcastle University's LIVE in King's Hall public concert series. Now, albeit at a digital distance, the International Centre for Music Studies' Thursday lunchtime series has resumed. Last week Jane Nossek (violin) and Gabriel Waite (cello) played classical pieces and today it was the turn of pianist Paul Edis to entertain for half an hour or so. 

LIVE in King's Hall is the corporate branding and the musicians perform live in front of an audience of students and members of the public. In this instance Paul Edis performed from the safety of his London home and, indeed, the performance was recorded some days ago. The enhanced audio-visual production values were, no doubt, down to the resources available to ICMuS staff. And so we got an on-screen countdown accompanied by a questionable ambient/elevator muzak soundtrack...5...4...3...2...1. Thankfully the elevator reached its destination in double quick time and, as the metaphorical doors opened, there was Dr Edis waiting for us. 

Two Edis compositions opened the programme; Montage followed by Just Like Me (sounding just like Paul Edis). Brooks Bowman's East of the Sun (and West of the Moon) is a nice tune and it was nicely played, as one would expect from our exiled northerner. Eastern (comp. P. Edis) from the composer's acclaimed Mr Hipster sextet album offered further evidence of a real compositional talent - perhaps another sextet recording session will happen one day. This afternoon's performer revealed that Miles Davis' Blue in Green was one of the tunes that go him into jazz. As a pianist Edis was struck by Bill Evans' contribution and, not for the first time, speculated that the composition was as much Evans' as Davis'. Typical pianist, taking the side of fellow pianist Evans! Time for a waltz, a Disney waltz at that. Frank Churchill's Someday My Prince Will Come - Davis, Evans and many others have recorded the number - is a timeless composition and Edis plays/played it as well as anyone. To close the half hour set Our Man in London went out on (without his usual TS Monk sparring partner Graeme Wilson) Trinkle, Tinkle. Excellent. More tomorrow (Friday 29) from Paul Edis live on YouTube at one o'clock.     
Russell  

1 comment :

JERRY said...

I missed the muzak - but did like the split-screen with an overhead camera on the keys. Fascinating to be able clearly to see the dexterity which goes into producing such fabulous sounds!

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