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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 ...

April 2025.

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: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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

Monday, March 15, 2021

Lockdown @ Ronnie's. Xhosa Cole presents Larry Young's Unity - March 15

Xhosa Cole (tenor sax); Byron Wallen (trumpet); Noah Stoneman (organ); Jeff Williams (drums).

(Screenshots by Ken Drew).

A look back at a classic Blue Note album from 1965. Larry Young's Unity, beautifully recreated by Xhosa Cole and his fellow travellers. To say that I actually enjoyed this more than the original is by no means intended to be disrespectful to Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson, Elvin Jones and Larry Young. How could I be disrespectful to four of the all-time greats of modern jazz?!

However, as someone once said - it may have been Shaw (George Bernard not Woody) - "Of course you're better than me - you were born after me". Which is something that must surely apply to all cover gigs. We've got the ingredients let's go to work.

And work on it they did. Byron has long been a trumpet player to be reckoned with whilst Xhosa and Noah seem to have been parachuted in fully formed from outer space! Jeff Williams - one of the heroes of the previous post - is himself approaching legendary status both in London and his native USA.

Zoltan set the stall out and, after Jeff's almost military-like drum intro Xhosa and Byron took off on the Lydian mode (I've done my homework) theme. This was good!

Monk's Dream is one of my favourites and, despite a missed cue going into the final head, tonight's guys did nothing to change that. Always good to know that even the Gods are human. If, Joe Henderson's only contribution to the original album, found willing recipients of his bounty tonight and it was a blast.

Xhosa took his role as frontman to step aside from Unity and feature himself on Wayne Shorter's Penelope, a rather lovely ballad. Nothing balladic about The Moontrane - a journey into space! Softly as in a Morning Sunrise is increasingly popular with today's young guns. Was this the album that sparked it off? One of the older guns - Jeff Williams didn't treat it softly but knocked seven shades out of it - Sigmund Romberg, a good six foot under, is still turning. 

Beyond All Limits was the last track from the album but the final track of the set was another Monk tune - Played Twice. More kick-ass drumming from Jeff and a fantastic solo from Xhosa. How has he reached this level so relatively quickly? A man for the world stage. And, let's not forget Noah Stoneman who was Mr Unity himself!

Great set.

Lance

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