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, November 16, 2020

Dinosaur: Live stream from Kings Place, EFG London Jazz Festival - Nov. 15

Laura Jurd (trumpet); Elliot Galvin (piano); Conor Chaplin (double bass); Corrie Dick (drums).

(Review & screen grabs by Amy Sibley-Allen)

Perhaps to give the authentic feel of a live jazz gig the live stream didn’t start at the time advertised, in was in fact the result of technical issues. However once resolved Mercury-nominated quartet Dinosaur delivered a fine rendition of their 3rd Studio Album To The Earth. Released on Edition Records in May this is its first outing. A predominately acoustic album, in contrast to their more ‘plugged in’ prior albums, Together as One and Wonder Trail, this is a perfect fit for Kings Place’s Hall 1.

As always, bandleader, composer and trumpeter Laura Jurd’s modest, unassuming energy, makes for an incredibly relaxed concert - whilst her underlying confidence in her music- making still shines through.

Opening with the album’s title track To The Earth Conor Chaplin’s bass vamp reels us in and the concert gets off to a great start. The languorous Slow Loris lives up to the title and is both deliberate and unhurried with a plodding bass line interspersed with Jurd’s trumpet growls and Eliott Glavin’s cascading piano.

Corrie Dick’s drums skills are showcased in the exuberant Mosking, a track inspired by the Norwegian piano trio Moskus, which opens with a playful duo between Dick and Jurd and followed later by a groovy drum solo utilising the tin can perched on Dick’s cymbals.  

All tracks on the album are composed by Jurd besides a cover of Billy Strayhorn’s Absinthe, from Duke Ellington’s album Afro-Bossa. A wonderful spacey synth vibe prevails throughout. A fun and rhymical Banning St Blues leads into the tender and melancholic For One - a perfect end to the set.  

Overall the evening was a joy, if there was any gripe at all perhaps the drums seemed a little lost in the mix, but other than that the sound and visuals were truly excellent. Now in their tenth year of music making together Dinosaur continue to evolve and go from strength to strength. Whatever comes next for them let’s hope to be able to applaud in person. Although, as several people noted in the chat feature having the fridge within easy reach has its plus sides.

Amy Sibley-Allen

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