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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. 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

Sunday, August 30, 2020

Dean Stockdale Trio @ St James' & St Basil's - August 30

Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums)

Another in St James' and St Basil's regular Sunday afternoon concert series, today featuring the Dean Stockdale Trio. Against expectations the sun shone. The forecast suggested a maximum temperature of 14° but on the day it was comfortably above that figure. The spacious church grounds in Fenham, Newcastle, were well populated with socially distanced supporters there to enjoy a swinging set of jazz.

Mingus' Nostalgia in Times Square opened the programme. The number can be found on pianist Dean Stockdale's Origin album from 2016 and it was good to hear it performed once more in a live setting. Rodgers and Hart's My Romance illustrated Stockdale's invention, playing chorus after chorus with bassist Mick Shoulder and drummer Russ Morgan cruising alongside.


Russ Morgan quickly established himself as one of the region's first call drummers when he relocated to Tyneside some five years ago and On the Sunny Side of the Street demonstrated that he has the art of playing brushes down to a tee. This was exemplary musicianship. Another cut from the Origin album titled Another Time confirmed Stockdale as a composer of note; lyrical, melodic, measured. As the sun shone the trio closed a fine first set with They Can't Take That Away From Me. An image of Fred Astaire singing and dancing came to mind.

The interval allowed time for a catch up with numerous other jazz fans who've been out of circulation for some time.  The consensus...it was great to be back!
In a Sentimental Mood resumed affairs. Classic Duke, you can't go wrong. More Rodgers and Hart with, perhaps, the tune of the day - Have You Met Miss Jones? Stockdale is a big fan of Oscar Peterson (our man from Darlington reminded us that the late, great Canadian would have turned 95 on the 15th of this month) and the 1937 standard swung like Peterson's trios always did.  This was great stuff which included Morgan's mini masterclass in hand drumming plus a spotlight solo for good measure with bassist Mick Shoulder alongside who was, as ever, right on the money. And talking of OP, Hymn for Freedom from the much-loved Night Train album hit home with Stockdale saying something like It is a song for our times

Two more to close a sunny Sunday afternoon, Billie's Bounce to commemorate yesterday's 100th anniversary of the birth of Charlie Parker with Stockdale quoting Now's the Time and an unusual, but effective, choice, the late Ennio Morricone's Love Theme from 1988's Cinema Paradiso. It had been a most enjoyable afternoon and with autumn just around the corner (the Met Office considers September 1 to be the first day of autumn) perhaps it's time to look to indoor performance here at St James' and St Basil's and at the many other venues across the region with the proviso all events are Covid-secure. Yesterday's salute to Charlie Parker was BIRD LIVES! Today, tomorrow and for ever more it's JAZZ LIVES!    
Russell 

2 comments :

Roly said...

Absolute class.

Brian Shine said...

What a marvellous turnout, my first jazz outing since the lockdown, great to catch up with the regular jazzers and what a pleasure it was to listen to Dean Stockdale's trio, lets hope for many more jazz gigs indoors.

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