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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

18018 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 339 of them this year alone and, so far, 17 this month (May 7).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Tue 13: ???

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Recital (stage 2): Leah Kirk (voice) @ The Band Room, Music Studios, Assembly Lane, Newcastle University. 3:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 14: Jerron Paxton @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £24.20. Excellent country blues multi-instrumentalist.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. BACK IN BUSINESS, all welcome!

Thu 15: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: The Greatest in Jazz - Guitarists.
Thu 15: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 15: New Ways of Moving in the Counterworlds @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). John Garner & John Pope.

Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Sophie Speed with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ Longframlington Memorial Hall. 7:00pm (doors). Tickets: £12.00. from 01665 570984.
Fri 16: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 16: Peter Donegan & Anthony Donegan @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. ‘Lonnie Donegan - The Stories’.

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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

Saturday, October 10, 2020

Album review: Paul Edis Trio - Snakes and Ladders

Paul Edis (piano, Fender Rhodes); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums)

Snakes and Ladders is the latest offering from Paul Edis. Composer, pianist, bandleader, London based Edis juggles several projects and this digital download album comprises eight original compositions recorded in November 2019 in the company of Andy Champion and Russ Morgan. The piano, bass, drums format places Snakes and Ladders firmly in the tradition of the straight ahead jazz piano trio.  

Much of the material was honed on gigs in pre-pandemic times. The opening track - Whiskers - sets the highest of standards, the trio heard in full flight, a match for any piano trio either side of the Atlantic. It Ain't Broke encompasses so many wonderful contrasting and complimentary elements it simply has to be heard: languorous swing, Monk, Dr Billy Taylor, stride, Oscar P, the elegance of Nat Cole. 

The title track takes us into ballad territory with Russ Morgan's exquisite brush work to the fore alongside Andy Champion's beautifully resonant bass playing. From the quietude of Snakes and Ladders to the gospel-to-funk Fender Rhodes of Of Mice and Men and on to The Long Way Round. The title of the latter references Tyne and Wear's Metro rapid transit system. There's a Latin lilt to the number and the reader familiar with the rail network's many stations could well imagine Edis the passenger daydreaming of somewhere like Belo Horizonte as he travelled through Benton or Byker! 

Lucky Eleven (this could be one about counting and time signatures) features Morgan's impeccable brush-on-snare work, Champion's sublime bass solo and, this really does need to be said, the final ringing note on the piano is testament not only to Edis the pianist playing a fine studio piano, but also to Adam Sinclair's peerless abilities engineering, mixing and mastering the album. 

Madeira is a bright, uplifting composition and, at 4 mins 16 seconds, the shortest track. A Moog-like intro comes as a surprise, as does a fade out, the latter a most unusual occurrence! The bit in between features more sparkling, uptempo playing by the trio. To close the album, Lies opens with a lazy, swingtime feel ahead of the trio effortlessly negotiating a series of boppish twist and turns, another exemplary solo from Champion and Morgan's concise fours before returning to the swing feel to take it out. 

Snakes and Ladders is a masterful work: three A-list musicians, familiar, varied, yet original compositions. The Paul Edis Trio performing the music from this album late night at Ronnie Scott's or the Village Vanguard, NYC would go down a storm. For further details and to download the album (cover art by Lynsey Gray) visit: www.pauledis.co.uk and check out Bandcamp.          
     
      
The Paul Edis Trio will be playing an album launch gig at Gosforth Civic Theatre in Newcastle on Saturday October 17. The concert is a sell out, however, there is the option to watch a live stream of the performance, see: www.gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk
Russell

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