Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 2026)

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

18897 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 761 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 11.) 40.

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

From This Moment On

September.

Mon 14: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 17: Front Porch Blues @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 17: Miles 100 @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. Jack Courtney (trumpet); Sue Ferris (tenor sax); Tom Atkinson (guitar); Alan Law (piano); Deon Krishnan (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums). A night of Miles Davis.
Thu 17: Amphitrio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £7.00. Andrei Petrache (piano); Mike Alex (double bass); Philip Goron (drums).

Fri 18: Danny Lownes’ Hot Club @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
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: Mark Williams Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 18: Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00., £5.00. student.
Fri 18: Rivkala + Beccy Sloan @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.
Sat 19: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner: Nina Simone. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 19: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.

Friday, August 14, 2020

Ewan Bleach's Virtual Duet w Jeff Barnhart - August 13

Ewan Bleach (clarinet, soprano sax, tenor sax, vocals); Jeff Barnhart (piano, vocals)

A London-Connecticut pairing of Ewan Bleach and Jeff Barnhart. The duo talked jazz when they met at a recent edition of the Classic Jazz Party on North Tyneside, kept in touch and, thanks to the worldwide pandemic, decided to play a few tunes together via the internet. Bleach calls suburban London home, Barnhart calls Mystic home. Mr B wins that one! Yes, Mystic, Connecticut is home to Barnhart and during lockdown the virtuoso American pianist has cultivated an impressive beard! 


The photo shows a questionable dress sense on either side of the Atlantic. Barnhart's excuse was living in a house without aircon in 90+° temperatures, Bleach (wearing shorts) was unable to explain himself, saying he was simply following the lead of his American friend. 

An apposite number to begin...The Virus Drag with Barnhart taking the vocal on his own composition. Throughout the live stream the sound balance wasn't the best. At times Bleach's various reeds were heard to good effect with Barnhart's piano a little low in the mix, on other occasions it was the other way round. It didn't help matters that at the London end of the tin cans and piece of string set-up Bleach couldn't help but fiddle (unnecessarily) with the mic. 

A couple of Harry Warren numbers (including The Rose of the Rio Grande), Fred Fisher's Georgia Rockin' Chair and a number recorded by Red Allen - In the Chapel in the Moonlight - made for a varied selection with the duo sharing vocal duties. Barnhart took the vocal on When Did You Leave Heaven? with Bleach playing tenor sax, which, on occasion, he likes to do. Bleach said the number was another favoured by Red Allen. 

Fred Rose's The El Rado Shuffle as perfomed by Jimmie Noone and Chicago's Fat Babies the best part of a century apart, then Old Fashioned Love (comp James P Johnson/Cecil Mack) and that was about it save for Bleach reprising Georgia Rockin' Chair to round off the hour.

Jeff Barnhart has made many extended visits to Britain. The pandemic put paid to any prospect of a 2020 tour but, all things being well, JB will be back next year with gigs in the Bebop Spoken Here heartland very much on his itinerary. Similarly Ewan Bleach hopes to tour the length and breadth of the British Isles with Frog and Henry. 
Russell
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