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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Fri 08: Alan Law Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Law, Mick Shoulder, John Bradford.
Fri 08: Giles Strong & Richard Herdman @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Guitar duo.
Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 6:00pm . Free. A Late Shows event.
Fri 08: Nigel Kennedy @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Line-up inc. Alec Dankworth.
Fri 08: Salty Dog @ Station East, Hills Street, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Sat 09: The Vieux Carré Hot 4 'Festival of Blossom' @ Seaton Delaval Hall National Trust. 12:30 - 3.00pm. Free event (admission applies).
Sat 09: SH#RP Collective w. Lindsay Hannon @ Church of Holy Name, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00 (inc. a welcome drink). Advance booking essential. Bring own snacks, drinks to be purchased at ‘donations’ bar. All proceeds to charity. A Jesmond Community Festival event.
Sat 09: East Coast Swing Band @ Jubilee Hall, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £10.00.

Sun 10: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 12 noon. Free. Note earlier start.
Sun 10: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 10: The Chet Set @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.
Sun 10: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.

Mon 11: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 12: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.

Monday, December 21, 2020

James Pearson Trio live streaming "A Swinging Christmas" from Ronnie's - Dec. 21

James Pearson (piano); Sam Burgess (bass); Chris Higginbottom (drums).

(Screenshot courtesy of Ken Drew)

All good festive fun down at Tier 4 inside Ronnie's. The three musicians did their bit to get us into the Christmas spirit and, at least for 75 minutes they succeeded.

No need for chapter and verse, the three wise musicians came in bearing candles - honestly! you just can't get incense, frankincense or myrr anywhere at this time of year! Behind them angelic voices sang Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Burgess took up the theme playing beautifully toned arco bass before the Almighty - Pearson picked it up.

Fugue-like they segued into Ding Dong Merrily on High and truly the bells were ringing way up there - you know where I mean!

Frosty, the New Orleans' Snowman, inspired by Harry Connick Jr's version was up next although long time readers of BSH will recall George Watt informing us in 2012 that good old Frosty's song was actually the melody of an earlier song - Some Sunday Morning. this wasn't a contrefact but, on the face of it, out and out thievery! 

The minutes flew by and the requests flew in - I particularly liked God Rest Ye Gerry Mulligan! Unfortunately, there wasn't a baritone player in the house so Gerry continued to rest in peace.

Too many to describe in detail. Oh Little Town(ship) of Bethlehem; Ding Dong the Witch is Dead; Silent Night (an evocative unaccompanied solo by Pearson); Let it Snow; The 12 Keys of Christmas; In the Bleak Midwinter (Bill Evans) and so it rolled on. Pearson played the above and more in the style of Peterson, Garner, Shearing, Tyner, Les Dawson!, Rachmaninoff and, of course, himself.

A reminder that as long as we have musicians like these and venues like this, Kansas Smitty's, The 606 and, closer to home, The Globe and Sage Gateshead we will still have the live music we love. Please support whenever possible.

Lance

1 comment :

Neil C said...

How did they manage to go ahead with this I thought all tier 4 venues had to close full stop and not just to people attending but also to all performers . Glad they did .

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