Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

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)

at

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.

Friday, November 27, 2020 10:42:00 pm
Russell said...

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

Saturday, November 28, 2020 8:55:00 am

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive