Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,066 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 930 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 31) 109.

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

November

Fri 06: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 1/3.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Jazz Night: Bridget Metcalfe @ Saltburn House Hotel. From 6:00pm. Tickets: £40.00 (inc. a two-course meal & glass of Prosecco). Tel: 01287 658977.
Fri 06: The Exu + Kraabel/Harrison/Birchall @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Sat 07: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Ewan Bleach’s Cable Street Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington.
12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Superb band.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Find Your Pocket: Funk & Groove. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café, St James’ Retail Park, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 6:00pm.

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 11: Plague Doctors Cure All + Noonward @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: JANE @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 12: MoonMot + Jack Banjo’s Snackwall @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 12: Ratio: Swingin’ Through the Decades @ The Forum, Darlington. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. A charity fundraiser.
Thu 12: Look Left @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Thu 12: Michael Woods @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Acoustic blues.

Thursday, March 11, 2021

Midweek at Small's, NYC (Mar. 8-10)

Ethan Iverson Trio - Mar. 8

Ethan Iverson (piano); Thomas Morgan (double bass); Andrew Cyrille (drums)

A Bud Powell set this evening beginning with Monk's Well, You Needn't. Pianist Ethan Iverson was clearly delighted to have Andrew Cyrille on board, a man who knew Monk and Powell (Iverson said Cyrille had stories to tell of meeting the bop icons, but here at Small's wasn't the time or place!). From Bouncin' with Bud to Like Someone in Love and the set-closing 52nd Street Theme, the trio worked empathetically, Iverson suggesting in Morgan and Cyrille that there isn't a better rhythm section on the NYC scene. 

Set list: Well, You Needn't; Bouncin' with Bud; Bud's Blues; Wail; I'll Keep Loving You; Like Someone in Love; Reets and I; 52nd Street Theme

Mike Karn Quintet - Mar. 9 

Joe Magnarelli (trumpet, flugelhorn); Nick Green (alto sax); Ehud Asherie (piano); Mike Karn (double bass); Charles Goold (drums)

Mike Karn played tenor sax for twenty years working with some high profile musicians including Ray Charles, Harry Connick Jr. and legendary bandleader Toshiko Akiyoshi. Making the switch to double bass, the New Yorker went on to work with many other big names, Jimmy Heath, Freddy Cole and John Pizzarelli, to name but three.

Hank Mobley's Third Time Around signalled a swinging bop session and that's precisely what transpired. The horns - Joe Magnarelli, trumpet, Nick Green, alto sax - swapped solos as they stepped on and off the cramped stage area. Pianist Ehud Asherie and bandleader Mike Karn contributed ace solos of their own, drummer Charles Goold expertly navigating a course for this most accomplished quintet. An excellent set. 

Set list: Third Time Around; Gypsy; Lover; Ruby, My Dear; Blues 'n' Boogie; Remember

Jérôme Sabbagh Quartet - Mar. 10 

Jérôme Sabbagh (tenor sax); Ben Monder (guitar); Joe Martin (double bass); Nasheet Waits (drums)

New York based French saxophonist and composer Jérôme Sabbagh has recorded several albums during the last twenty five years. Two of his regular collaborators - guitarist Ben Monder and bassist Joe Martin - were with him on this live stream set from Small's, as was the not too shabby Nasheet Waits on drums! 

A selection of five of the bandleader's compositions from 2014's The Turn (the title tune and the ballad Long Gone), through to Stand Up and, said Sabbagh, a newer tune (Élson's Energy?), would prove to be anything but a showcase for Sabbagh. 

The uptempo Vintage featured Waits, the remainder of the set favoured Ben Monder rather than the bandleader whose preference appeared to be in setting the tone and direction of each piece.   
Russell

Set list: The Turn; Long Gone; Vintage; Stand Up;  ?

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