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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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, August 18, 2020

Charlie Parker Centennial approaches

The day approaches - only eleven more days until we celebrate the Charlie Parker centennial. August 29 is the date and, although we have to wait a week longer (Sept. 6) for the online celebration by the Jazz Coop at the Globe with Jordan Alfonso and the Alan Law Trio to play their own tribute we, at BSH, as befits the blog name, intend to ensure that the name of Charlie Parker is at the forefront.

To enable us to commemorate the flawed genius we'd appreciate your thoughts be it favourite albums, tunes, solos whatever. It will be difficult, I know. In his short life he produced so much wonderful music that it is difficult to discard anything.

Is there anyone still alive - apart from Sheila Jordan and Roy Haynes - who actually played with Bird?

Here are a couple of my favourites.
Just Friends. "With Strings", in the late 1940s/early1950s was usually guaranteed to be the kiss of death by the jazz critics of the time. Strings? Bring back Paul Whiteman all is forgiven! Fortunately, there were such as Norman Granz who recorded the album and Leonard Feather who included it in his list of all-time favourites in the 1953 Metronome yearbook. 

Listen to Parker's devastating alto intro to the tune and the subsequent exposition. This is the greatest since Louis' West End Blues!

Earlier, before Granz took Bird "under his wing", the alto saxist was out in California recording with Howard McGhee, Wardell Gray, Barney Kessel. Dodo Marmarosa, Red Callender and Don Lamond. It wasn't a happy trip - and I use the word intentionally - but Stupendous was just that!

Let's have your posts, comments etc.,, 
Lance

2 comments :

Russell said...

Sonny Rollins is another living link with Parker.

Steve T said...

Finally got everything together for the big day/ week/ month. Early on I decided Massey Hall (complete) would go in the car, though I haven't yet checked what journeys I'm likely to make that day.
I've still got the Dial Masters double CD but comparable sets on Savoy and Verve seem to have moved on, though I played the Verve Jazz Masters on Verve 15 yesterday as a warmup. I bought some cheap ones a couple of years back, including that and Early Bird by the Jay McShann Orchestra featuring Charlie Parker. There may have been others but I can't find any. Nor have I found Blue Bird which is all Bird and Miles, but I've played it quite recently anyway. If all else fails, Francis has a ten disc boxset with absolutely no accompanying information, though I think it only cost as many quids.
One of the first (non jazz funk) jazz albums I ever bought was by Bird, but it was just the one in the record shop in the early eighties. It took me years to realise it wasn't just people trying to play as many notes as quickly as possible. I got the Duke before I got Bird, though Satchmo took even longer, presumably because it's even older.

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