Bebop Spoken There

John Donegan: ''What you take in through your ears can come out through your fingers.'' (Notes to Which Direction October, 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

19,030 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 894 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 22) 73.

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

October.

Mon 26: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 26: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 27: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. guest Julija Jacenaite.
Tue 27: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).

Wed 28: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 28: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 28: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 29: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 29: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 29: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 29: Simon Taylor Band @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. £8.00.
Thu 29: King Bees @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

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

Sat 31: Saltburn Big Band + Durham Alumni Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Sat 31: East Coast Swing Band @ Cramlington Village Club, Park View, Cramlington NE23 6QJ. 7:30pm. £10.00. (from venue).

November

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Donna Hewitt (tenor sax, clarinet)
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Sarah Heneghan Trio : The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Friday, November 27, 2020

Alice Grace Quartet - Live stream from Gosforth Civic Theatre - Nov. 27


Alice Grace (vocals); Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Grainger (bass); Russ Morgan (drums).

(Screenshot by Brian Ebbatson)

I lost a bit of time faffing around between F/b, YT & GCT before I eventually got logged in - it was so much simpler when you simply plonked down your money at the door or picked up the bass drum and walked in with the band hoping you looked liked a roadie!

Alas, those days are gone but, fortunately, the music like the melody lingers on. However, because of these hiccups I missed the first ten minutes or so which mean't that when I turned up Alice was just finishing what sounded like a fine version of On the Street Where You Live.

Autumn in New York followed - how different NY is today compared to when Vernon Duke penned it! It was an exquisite rendition of the then as opposed to the now!

Moonlight Saving Time was a request from Patti D and concluded with a scat/drum exchange of fours.

An original, Footloose, followed by Beautiful Love led to a superb It Could Happen to You - and you can bet your life it sure could!

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Alice said, she related it to her recently born child. Understandably, she did the song and young Freddie proud. However, Alice misinterpreted my comment "Play Misty For Me" as a request for the song rather than a reference to the film in which the Roberta Flack version played so prominent a part.  Must be before her time!

We were now in the home straight and the set finished up with Stevie Wonder's I Can't Help it and good old Lullaby of Birdland.

I realise I've concentrated on Alice but of equal importance were the contributions by Mark, Paul and Russ who played great solos and offered the perfect cushion for Alice to relax and spread the joy that comes from her voice - I know that sounds really cheesy but I couldn't think of any better way to put it!

Next week is quite important for GCT. They need to raise 7.5K to enable them to double that with Lottery funding so dig deep if you dig GCT.

Lance

(Collage by Ken Drew)

2 comments :

Brian E said...

That rendering of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face was really something, sung with real feeling and beauty, Made the night for me. Great support too from Mark (5*), Paul and Russ.

Russell said...

Agreed 100%. Alice's take on the classic number was, as you say, Brian, 'really something'.

Blog Archive