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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

18037 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 458 of them this year alone and, so far, 36 this month (June 11).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:30pm. Free. Concert performance (open to the public)..
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00. CANCELLED!

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: David Gray's Flextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’.
Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

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

Friday, April 30, 2021

International Jazz Day @ The Globe: Matt Carmichael Quartet - April 30

(Photo by Debra M)
Matt Carmichael (tenor sax); Fergus McCreadie (piano); Ali Watson (bass); Tom Potter (drums).

An interesting session on this auspicious occasion - International Jazz Day and the Jazz Co-op's seventh birthday. They said it would never last but the fact that it has got this far suggests that it is in it for as long as it takes. 

In olden days (pre-2020), International Jazz Day at the Globe would have had players of all standards from across the region jamming and forming unplanned musical alliances - happy days!

Without that intermingling of punters and players, pints and Pinots that same feeling was never going to be recaptured via an audienceless livestream. However, with Scotland but a caber's throw away, all was not lost and thus began the latest Scots' invasion. Last week, JazzMain crossed the border for a swinging set and this week the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year finalist, Matt Carmichael, came along.

With McCreadie on piano, who'd already made his mark at The Globe a while back, the portents looked good although, I'll hold my hand up and say that, to me, the opening 10-15 minutes seemed like an hour and I was struggling to stay awake. Having said that, the sidebar pundits were all going into raptures!

(Collage by Ken Drew)
Then, suddenly, we were up up and away! McCreadie lit the blue touch-paper with an amazing solo that was as good as anything I've heard at this, or any other venue, for a long time, Carmichael started blowing like the true tenorman that he obviously is rather than a frustrated piper, bass and drums dug in, this was the real deal!

The music had very much a Scottish, with an occasional Scandinavian, feel about it which is understandable and which was indeed the inspiration behind his recent album Where Will the River Flow from which most, if not all, of tonight's repertoire came from.

All of it wasn't my bag but the, maybe, 80% of it that was made up for the 5% that wasn't - the other 15% lay somewhere in between.

So, a curate's egg or should I say a Scotch egg?

One indisputable fact - Four great musicians.

Lance

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