Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (DownBeat May, 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

18548 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 412 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 19) 66

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

May

Mon 25: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 26: Noel Dennis Sextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00. A Miles Davis centenary concert (Davis b. 26. 5. 1926). Noel Dennis (trumpet); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums). SOLD OUT!
Tue 26: Lagos to Longbenton @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 27: Neighbourhood Watch + Rivkala @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00. Rivkala (solo).

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Miles Davis & His Favourite Musicians.
Thu 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 28: Bobby Rush @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. + bf. Veteran USA bluesman.
Thu 28: Squabble @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 28: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.

Sat 30: Giles Strong Quartet @ Langley Tracks, Langley on Tyne NE47 5LA. 5:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £1.50 bf.

Sun 31: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 31: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 31: Sinfonia of London: Tea Dance @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. Free. John Wilson ensemble performing on the concourse. Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George & Ira Gershwin & more.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76.
Sun 31: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 31: Ben Haskins Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

Wednesday, September 09, 2020

Paul Edis: Music of Bill Evans - Sept. 8

Paul Edis (piano)

Pianist Paul Edis is a fan of Bill Evans and it often shows in his playing. Tonight's live stream focussed upon the compositions of the revered American pianist. Most, if not all, of the tunes in this one hour plus set have been performed by  Edis at some point down the years and hearing them again served to illustrate that our man from County Durham, currently exiled in London, continues to find something new in Evans' work.

In a set of a dozen or so numbers, our host's commentary on the life and work of his subject helped join the dots for those perhaps less familiar with Evans' place in the jazz pantheon. From the early days in NYC working in a trio with Mundell Lowe to, famously, Miles Davis, to the various trios - Scott La Faro and Paul Motian, Chuck Israels, Eddie Gomez - to recording with Stan Getz and a late period recording with Tom Harrell, this proved to be a good, representative survey.  

Very Early to start, followed by a contrasting Funkallero (Edis sounding  positively orchestral!), it quickly became clear that this Tuesday evening live stream should be filed under 'essential listening/viewing'. Waltz for Debby, Re: Person I Knew (Orrin Keepnews the anagramatic inspiration upon signing for Riverside), a request from George Milburn, Peace Piece (Edis noting Bernstein, Chopin and Messiaen were influential figures in Evans' development as a composer), things were shaping up nicely, another winning online concert by Dr Edis.

And then...Edis became distracted by an adjacent monitor relaying score updates from Sunderland's cup match versus Aston Villa's U23s (final score 8-1!) and a warning sign that the stream could be buffering. Intermittently the picture froze but crucially the audio just about evaded the gremlins that we have come to accept as part of the 'new normal' online gigging world.  

Walking Up and 34 Skidoo played as a back-to-back selection, then Laurie. At this juncture an online comment read: Outrageously wonderful playing. And with that Edis signed off with Children's Play Song. In a fortnight (September 22) Paul Edis' turns the spotlight on Thelonious Monk. Excellent, log-in at eight.   
Russell                
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