Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Stedman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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 27, 2021

KSTV: Playback session. Yusef Lateef's "Eastern Sounds" - March 27

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)
Giacomo Smith (tenor sax/soprano sax/flute); Will Barry (piano); Will Sach (bass); Jas Kayser (drums).

Giacomo is a musician of such diversity that it is nigh impossible to pigeonhole him. A Giacomo of all trades  musical and master of them too! Not many players can blow like Bechet one night and show up as Lateef the next! Not only that, he does the former on soprano and clarinet and the latter on soprano, tenor and flute. I can't wait until he does a Roland Kirk Playback Session!

The music tonight was based on Yusef Lateef's album Eastern Sounds, an album that has developed a cult following and, as Giacomo said regarding Lateef, "You either love him or hate him". 

It's an intriguing album that mixes the exotic with the familiar and the unexpected. Tonight's band kept all those factors in place. The Love Theme from Spartacus and The Love Theme from The Robe were far removed from the movie soundtracks but, nevertheless, back in the day, they sold a few singles for the man who began life as Bill Evans (no relation!).

Don't Blame Me had some relatively straight forward tenor playing and Snafu which, for some reason I missed - maybe I was preparing my nightcap of Horlicks - I'm sure swung along as nicely as GS said it did.

By and large, the other numbers were very much of the eastern persuasion and, at times (like all times ), compulsive listening.

(Collage by Ken Drew)
Tonight's rhythm section were the perfect choice - Cleasby, Sach and Kayser  - you need a trio? Look no further. You need a quartet? Look no further.

No more midweek gigs at Smitty's lined up for the immediate future so we will have to wait until next Saturday for their take on Monk's Underground album.
Lance 

Plum Blossom; Blues For the Orient; The Love Theme from Spartacus; Don't Blame Me; The Love Theme from The Robe; Snafu; Chinq Miaou; Purple Flower.

1 comment :

Mike Farmer said...

Caught the second set at the Club 43 and remember he played a fast Dexterity on a silver King tenor.He had a huge sound and he brought his own pianist, Stan Jones who I think later moved to Hollywood and worked in the TV and film studios.

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