Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18818 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 682 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 20) 51.

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

August

Tue 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 27: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 27: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 28: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 29: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:30pm (doors). £32.00.

Sun 30: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Tango Jazz Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Dave O'Higgins Quartet livestreaming from the 606 Club - May 15.

(Screenshot by Lance)
Dave O'Higgins (tenor sax); Graham Harvey (piano); Jeremy Brown (bass); Josh Morrison (drums)

Another belter from the 606 which, fingers crossed, opens its doors to the public next week. If tonight had been played out in front of a crowded room the audience would still have been talking about it this time next year!

It was that sort of a gig.

(Screenshot by Lance)
Nothing pretentious just relatively straight down the middle post hard bop and even though the opening number, Turnaround, from Ornette Coleman's Tomorrow is the Question may have suggested otherwise, the quartet kept it well within the bounds of sanity with O'Higgins' sound not unlike Dexter Gordon. As it turned out, the following number, Cheese Cake, was by Dexter and it laid down the message to tenor players everywhere that Dave O'Higgins is a force to be reckoned with - as if we didn't already know!

(Screenshot by Lance)
Another ace in the pack is Graham Harvey. He played well throughout but really impressed on that good old good one from My Fair Lady - On the Street Where You Live - where he was well featured.

Another Coleman - George - provided the material for Apache Dance (a Cherokee contrafact) that had a kickass solo from Berklee bound Josh Morrison. 

Eddie Harris' 1974 Blues was actually written in 1969 but in O'Higgins' hands it was timeless.

(Screenshot by Lance)

Billy May composed Somewhere in the Night as the theme tune for a 1960s' cop show - The Naked City. There are a 1000 stories in the Naked City... It had a nice atmospheric feel to it as did the next number Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.

Monk's Bye-Ya saw the show out with solos all round, not forgetting bassist Brown who was a tower of strength from start to finish.

A great set with no originals or plugs for CDs despite the fact that Dave has both compositions and albums-a-plenty to his name!
Lance

at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive