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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17655 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 929 of them this year alone and, so far, 74 this month (Dec. 31).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Thu 02: ???

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 03: John Gregory @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.

Sat 04: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Square, Middlesbrough. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £5.00. Xmas party (rescheduled from early December).

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 05: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Americana, jazz & blues.
Sun 05: Papa G’s Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Mon 06: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

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

Sunday, April 25, 2021

Sunday Night @ The Globe: JazzMain - April 25

(Photo by Debra Milne)
Nick Gould (tenor sax); Steve Grossart (keys); Iain Harkness (5 string electric bass); Kevin Dorrian (drums).

Always good to hear JazzMain when they make their occasional forays south of the border down Railway St. way. 

Sunday in New York was an appropriate starter. Admittedly we weren't in New York but it was Sunday and, being Sunday, we were virtually in The Globe which is the next best thing to being in Birdland. Indeed, on a Sunday night in Newcastle, it's the only game in town. Lockdown or no lockdown these guys hadn't neglected their chops.

Johnny Mandel's Cinnamon & Cloves; Dizzy's Tin Tin Deo and a luscious version of Darn That Dream kept things at a relatively high level before the ante was lifted with Friday Night at the Cadillac Club. This Bob Berg number would have had the crowd shakin' it and letting it all hang out had there been a crowd to do such lascivious things ... in about 3 weeks I think/hope.

Hank Mobley provided Funk in Deep Freeze, Tom Jobim came up with the inevitable bossa nova - Favela - which made space for sax and bass to flex their muscles and Grover Washington added Mr Magic.

By the time we reached the last number which, in time-honoured show business tradition, turned out  not be the last number at all, I had made a few reflections.

(Photo by Debra Milne)
That they managed to get through a gig without the meaningless round of fours that most bands today seem to regard as a rite of passage was a distinct plus. Steve Grossart played some excellent solos although, personally, I'd have preferred to have heard them played with a more traditional piano sound rather than the tinkle-tinkle electronic sound. As ever Harkness was as sound as a Scottish pound and Dorrian, although restricted solowise, seized the moment when it thrust upon him - impressively. Oh yes, and there's also Nick Gould who can hold his own in any company on his great tenor sound alone!

The final final number, Horace Silver's The Hippest Cat in Hollywood, could easily have been re-named as The Hippest Cats in Holyrood!

Come back soon.

Lance

1 comment :

Nick Gould said...

Hi Lance, Thanks very much for reviewing our gig. It just felt so good to play with the guys again after a 14 month hiatus.

The Globe gang has done so much to support the musicians over the last months and we really appreciated the opportunity to play again.

Last year was going to be a busy one for us, I am glad to say we are seeing bookings start to come in now so hopefully in the next couple of months live music with an audience will no longer just be a memory.

best regards


Nick

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