Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18818 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 682 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 20) 51.

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

August

Tue 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 27: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 27: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 28: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 29: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:30pm (doors). £32.00.

Sun 30: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Tango Jazz Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Thursday, February 11, 2021

KSTV: Noah Stoneman, Daisy George, Will Cleasby - Feb. 11


Noah Stoneman (piano); Daisy George (bass); Will Cleasby (drums).

(Screenshots by Ken Drew)

It was a tough call tonight - hip-hop at Ronnie's or some swinging piano jazz at Smitty's? I flipped a coin and called "heads". Fortunately, it landed with the head of Queen Victoria showing so it mean't I didn't have to flip again.

Another ace trio tonight playing a great selection of standards from the Old and New Testament of Bop.

Ornette Coleman, whom many proclaimed as the New Messiah, provided The Blessing and it didn't take long before we got the message that tonight was going to be the jazz equivalent of the Sermon on the Mount or The Beatles at Shea Stadium. 

Bud Powell's Tempus Fugue-it was introduced by Cleasby as Tempus Fuggit which gave him the chance to say "let's hope we don't fug it up!"

Star Eyes, one of the truly great tunes whether sung by Carmen McRae or played by Charlie Parker - or, come to that, played by Noah Stoneman.

Everything Happens to me. That lyric (Tom Adair) - "I make a date for golf and you can bet your life it rains, I try to throw a party and the guy upstairs complains" is in a class of its own. Even without the words it's still a great number (Matt Dennis) and Stoneham's reading of the verse and his subsequent exploration of the harmonic possibilities were just (just?) magical!

A couple of Horace Silver's in the form of Pretty Eyes and Nica's Dream. In the former, Daisy George let us know that a woman's bass isn't just in the home but on a jazz gig as she served up as tasty a solo as  I've heard since the last time I heard her. On Nica's Dream, Daisy did the business again and Cleasby hit all the pots and pans - if his mask hadn't slipped I'd have sworn it was Elvin Jones reincarnated.

The set finished with a Monk tune that I know well - it wasn't Monk's Dream but it was of that ilk.

Another knock out session. Why anyone who reads BSH doesn't checkout KS is beyond me. Google YouTube Kansas Smitty's and you'll never (virtually) go home again!
Lance
at

1 comment :

Russell said...

A superb session. As Lance said, if you read BSH you really should checkout Kansas Smitty's!

Thursday, February 11, 2021 11:07:00 pm

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