Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 2025).

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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

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

Saturday, March 20, 2021

KSTV: Playback session - Michael Brecker's Tales from the Hudson - Mar. 20

(Screenshot by Russell)
Alec Harper (tenor sax); Nick Costley-White (guitar); Will Barry (piano); Will Sach (double bass); Jas Kayser (drums)

Michael Brecker's mid-nineties album Tales from the Hudson featuring some heavyweight sidemen, including Pat Metheny* and Dave Holland, put Kansas Smitty's regular tenor man Alec Harper firmly in the spotlight.

As is Osei Mensa's wont, KSTV's presenter had a bit of a preamble with this evening's principal, Harper. Osei wondered about Brecker's influence on other saxophonists. Harper suggested any horn player after Brecker couldn't be other than influenced in some way or another by the multi-Grammy award-winning American who died at in 2007 at the age of 57. 

Aiding and abetting Harper was an ace band (when isn't it at Kansas Smitty's?); Nick Costley-White a match for Mr P Metheny, Wills Barry (Joey Calderazzo) and Sach (Dave Holland), and the excellent Jas Kayser taking on the role of Jack DeJohnette.  

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)

Smitty's online guitar fans couldn't have been other than impressed with Nick Costley-White playing Metheny, a great player is NCW, as he ably demonstrated on the American guitar hero's Song for Bilbao. Will Sach's fine bass solo introduced African Skies, Harper and band picking up on the groove with our Brecker man shooting for the stars. Phew! Stepping back from the mic, Will Barry countered with a blinding solo of his own, the group sound decaying into silence. Superb! 

Brecker's Naked Soul temporarily took it down before this ace band went out on Brecker's startling blues Cabin Fever
(Collage by Ken Drew)
. The furious tempo pushed all five musicians to breaking point - Barry soloing like a demon, Sach swinging, Kayser riding on a cymbal, Harper barging in to make it a tenor sax-drums fist-fight, Sach back in the game throwing punches, Barry comping, Harper all guns blazing, eventually pausing for breath, leaving it to NCW to maintain the momentum until Jas K's obligatory (marvellous) solo. Another winner from Kansas Smitty's!    
* Tomorrow night's live stream from Ronnie Scott's presents the music of Pat Metheny, log on at eight for Big Band Metheny.  

 Russell

Slings and Arrows; Midnight Voyage; Song for Bilbao; Beau Rivage; African Skies; Naked Soul; Cabin Fever

at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive