Bebop Spoken There

Warne Marsh: "At some point, you have to be prepared to create—to perform. It's vital, man, if we're talking about jazz, the original jazz, the performing art. It fulfils its meaning only when you play it live in front of an audience." DownBeat January 1983.

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 17: Homer’s Lane + John Garner & John Pope @ St John’s Church, Riding Mill. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. Gabriele Heller’s audio play + Garner & Pope.
Sat 17: Martyn Roper @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. Roper’s ‘One Man Blues Band’.
Sat 17: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Alexia Gardner Trio @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). Gardner, Alan Law & Jude Murphy.

Sun 18: Louis Louis Louis @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 2:00pm (doors). £15.00. Swing, jump jive, rhythm & blues. Fundraiser for St Oswald’s Hospice.
Sun 18: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Rod Sinclair.
Sun 18: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Herdman-Strong Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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, May 02, 2021

Dave Sockett enthuses over Zoë Gilby's Aurora.

Zöe Gilby (voice); Noel Dennis (trumpet/flugel); Mark Williams (bass); Andy Champion (bass); Russ Morgan (drums).

I think you've all managed to create a lovely melodic, rhythmic and intriguing cd; with clever and insightful lyrics helping to explore the songs and potential themes. You manage to really use words and phrases sparingly, but with powerful and multiple meaning and effect. I also thought your use of expressive sound and emotion from your voice was beautifully realised. The themes of creation, love, time, change, adventure, movement, being present and spirituality were all there.

In Leap to the Limelight, with the guitar creating leaping movement, the percussion, atmosphere and the trumpet a broad scan of a space, you sung your lyrics beautifully, to create the movement of spinning, flight and pirouette. 

The All Night Diner, was alive with life, options and opportunity, with trumpet and bass creating the atmosphere so well and the guitar making it flow. The lyrics convey a down to earth, realistic, welcoming  place, with a tasty menu and spicey menu and perhaps a bit more. 

Your Dear Heart creates a lush atmosphere of romance and a loving dream world, with all the instruments supporting this in quite a slow, laid back way. 

The tempo becomes very active in Forget the Past, which is full of adventure for the moment before life passes by. It's life on the pulse and fast playing and drum rolls intensify it. 

A Momentary Place of Peace, full of adventure, but looking for escape; questioning destiny and fate and trying to find an anchor for the heart. Beautiful notes are played on guitar and the medium tempo carries the song well. This is New moves up tempo again, with the band flowing together. A thrilling atmosphere is created with the heart beat thumping with fever and palms becoming sweaty; passion is taking off and the trumpet and the sounds of your voice and emotions give it a vivid intensity.

Ebb and Flow is a slower pace, with cascading ripples and the themes of creation and how emotion will play out in the moment seem evident; enhanced by the words forbidden, secret and beguiling. 

Shadows in Solitude has a haunting contemplative feel to it; with the guitar seeming to play questioning notes and the atmosphere being quite moody. 

Celestial Delight has a feeling of wonder and awe about it, enhancing a spiritual theme. There seems to be praise and celebration here, with a lovely pulsing rhythm, trumpet runs and responsive guitar and bass. Everything seems to be so alive and the voice sounds and emotion emanating from you reinforce it all. I think the CD is very good and a great endorsement to you all. Dave Sockett

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