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Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17873 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 194 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (March 14).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

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: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Nicknames.
Thu 20: Terri Green Experience @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.90.
Thu 20: King Bees @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb blues band.
Thu 20: Lindsay Hannon Trio @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Hannon’s ‘Tom Waits for No Man’ set.
Thu 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 21: Paul Skerritt @ 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: Giles Strong Quartet @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 21: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Featuring special guest Martin Litton (piano).

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: Swamp Stomp String Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Sat 22: Rivkala @ 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: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: The Great Deceivers @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Tom Atkinson & co play King Crimson (1969-1974). Atkinson (guitar); Josh Bentham (alto sax); Stu Dawson (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums).

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

Tue 25: Fred Wesley & the New JB’s @ The Cluny. 7:30pm (doors). £27.50. POSTPONED! New date Wednesday 26 November.

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

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Livestream: SSBB, Beth Macari @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle - July 18

The Tyne Theatre and Opera House, known to cinema goers back in the day as "The Stoll", proved the ideal setting for a livestream, socially distanced, concert by the Strictly Smokin' Big Band.

The building has certainly had an illustrious past but tonight was very much about the present as, let's face it, few of us can forecast the future. Not even Alfie Joey, the jovial compere who seemed to have recovered from the loss of his night club and Rita Hayworth - well he did get Kim Novak and a puppy in exchange - who gave the SSBB an enthusiastic introduction before handing over to Alice Grace and the band for Route 66.

Great as these streams are, just as at a live gig there is more to it than what comes out of the bell end. Acoustics are important on a live gig, and there are also imponderables whilst listening at home. Music that sounds great when heard through a sooper dooper Bose sound system loses something when heard through a couple of lo-fi speakers attached to your computer that you picked up at a car boot sale. And, just as sporting events aren't the same without the roar of the crowd so it is at a jazz gig. Nothing is worse than sitting down after the greatest solo you've ever played only to be greeted with silence. Tonight, although I applauded the solos with the greatest of gusto I doubt if I was heard 8 miles up river.

Nevertheless, taking all this into consideration it was a cracking night!

Alice, despite being heavy with child, as the saying goes, was in good voice and, as well as Route 66, also delighted us with Get Happy, Puttin' on the Ritz (hence the aforementioned usage of the words "sooper dooper") and Stevie Wonder's Sir Duke - this too was sooper dooper!

Not to be outdone, the band sooper doopered on Tickle Toe, Whisper Not and the Billy Taylor tune with the long title.

Time for a break and a set by Beth Macari. The songs were unfamiliar to me but this girl is a great singer - more soul/pop/funk than jazz - and I enjoyed her set. Nice to see jazz refugee guitarist Stuart Davies in the band.

So far we've had social distancing, sooper dooper, Sir Duke and now Stuart Davies - strange.

The big band's second set got underway with Alice singing: Almost Like Being in Love, Willow Weep For Me, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Lost in a Memory of You and The Late Late Show.

Leader Lamb blew trumpet on, of all things, Satisfaction. A strange choice and, although he played it well, he probably wouldn't have pulled Bianca.

Alice and her "Pal Joey" finished off a most enjoyable evening with a duet on A Slow Boat to China.
Lance
PS: Apologies for not making more of the soloists but, needless to say, Jamie Toms and Steve Summers did most of the solo work apart from blasts by dep Forster and trombones Kieran and Chris - they were simply delightful!

Michael Lamb MD, Pete Tanton, Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey (trumpets); Mark Ferris, Kieran Parnaby, Chris Kurgi-Smith, John Flood (trombones), Jamie Toms, Matt Forster, Sue Ferris, Steve Summers, Laurie Rangecroft (reeds); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Graham Don (piano); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Guy Swinton (drums); Alice Grace (vocals).

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Beth Macari (vocals); Jonny Winter (keys); Stuart Davies (guitar); Phil Bell (perc).
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Alfie Joey (compere/vocal).

2 comments :

NeilC said...

I thought this was excellent thoroughly enjoyed SSBB you'd never think they'd been away. I thought the talented Beth Macari provided a really wonderful set in the interval and offered an intimate alternative to the boldness of the big band . Unfortunately this is how gigs will be for some time. It was strange for me and to be honest I clapped instinctively after each song , I cannot imagine how it was for the band and Beth to be met with silence when normally be applause and cheering however, it was just great to see live music again albeit in a screen . It was I suppose like going to a large outdoor event ,arriving late and having to stand so far back from the stage you can only see the band on the obligatory big screen like you see at Glastonbury .

Russell said...

The morning after the night before on BBC Newcastle's breakfast show presenter Alfie Joey described the SSBB's performance as 'absolutely sensational'and referred to the 'brilliant Beth Macari'. Well, Sinatra fan Joey should know, he was the on-stage compere.

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