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.

Monday, September 28, 2020

The Glenn Crytzer Sextet live streaming from NYC: The Courtyard Concert #8 - Sept. 27


Mike Davis (trumpet, vocals); Jim Fryer (trombone); Ricky Alexander (clarinet); Glenn Crytzer (guitar, banjo, vocals); Jay Rattman (bass saxophone); Jay Lepley (drums)

Two thirty in the afternoon in New York,  seven thirty in the evening in Newcastle upon Tyne. 26° in NYC, 8° in Newcastle - where would you rather be? Well, thanks to the musician's new-found friend - the live stream - we were transported for one hour only to the city that never sleeps as band leader Glenn Crytzer presented another in his series of Courtyard Concert sessions.

No. 8 - or should that be #8? - in the series from the alleyway below his NYC apartment featured a fine sextet with a couple of the guys well-known to patrons of Mike Durham's International Classic Jazz Party...Messrs Mike Davis and Jim Fryer. Glenn Crytzer runs a big band in the Big Apple, not exactly the ideal sized unit when hustling for a gig in these pandemic times. So, a sextet it was, and, a few early sound issues aside, this turned out to be a rather good session comprising a host of popular numbers from the 20s and 30s.  

The CharlestonThere ain't no Sweet Man Worth the Salt of my Tears (Crytzer taking a first vocal of the afternoon), Doin' the New Lowdown, the first three numbers. A distracting echo on the live stream was soon rectified and from there on in the sound proved to be just fine. In these Covid-19 times Jim Fryer periodically wore a face covering, drummer Jay Lepley donning a mask throughout. Trumpeter Davis (superb articulation) and clarinetist Ricky Alexander were occupied blowing their respective horns, similarly Jay Rattman had his hands full in the engine room wielding his bass saxophone alongside Lepley.

Way Down Yonder in New Orleans took us from New York to Louisiana, Mike Davis sang a verse on Blue River and Crytzer followed up singing Blue Skies. Some numbers are guaranteed winners and Crytzer wisely chose St Louis Blues, it was a winner! The hour was flying by, time for Crytzer to plug his PayPal account: Glenn@GlennCrytzer.com - and look at his phone to see who was tuned-in our man exclaimed: A lotta cats out there!

Time was nearly up, time for Jazz Me Blues (Fryer having a blast, so too Ricky Alexander) then I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover positively motored. A good way to end a session all the way from NYC.  
Russell

No comments :

Blog Archive