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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17719 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 39 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Jan. 15).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Sat 18: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 18: Alter Ego + Jamie Toms/Graham Don Duo @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 18: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Repas 7 by Night, West St., Berwick TD15 1AS. 7:30pm. Free. Album launch gig.
Sat 18: Delta Prophets @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 19: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. ‘Glenn Miller & the Rat Pack Era’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 19: Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 19: Nick Ross Orchestra @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Sun 19: Freight Train (Tobin/Noble/Clarvis) @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 19: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

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

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

It's Not All That Jazz

Back in my cycling days, jazz was never far from my mind. In my very early days as a teenager, on club runs, we used to sprint for signs. As we went hell for leather to be the first into Morpeth I'd be pedalling to the tune of High Society. I always came, at best, second, maybe future track champion Vince Burns was hearing Scrapple From the Apple.

The reason for this, seemingly unlikely post, springs from a Twitter (Tweet?) by Paul Edis promising to deliver an article on the relationship between music and exercise - in Paul's case jogging - as well as a book by someone else on the relationship between jazz and cricket.

The latter subject was looked at by Vic Lewis in his book Music and Maiden Overs - a book that, incidentally, was referred to somewhat disparagingly by Jim Godbolt back in the day when he edited the Jazz At Ronnie Scott's (JARS) mag.

In the 1930s/40s the swing bands would often meet up and play baseball when their paths crossed.

I once turned up a couple of minutes late for an interview with Joe Temperley at Sage Gateshead only to find he'd left to watch Scotland playing a World Cup game on TV back at his hotel.

Boxing has always rubbed shoulders with jazz. Possibly, because of the two often performing in clubs and mafia run venues, it was inevitable. The famous pre-fight quote by Joe Frazier that he'd booked Duke Ellington's band to play at his victory party after he'd beaten Ali was countered by Ali replying that he'd booked the Basie band for his victory party (it may have been vice versa!)

Sebastian Coe recently revealed his love of jazz - maybe he too was listening to Scrapple when he won those Olympic titles!

Getting back to cycling, Pete Deuchar (Duker) is a name to conjure with and, as NYC, opens its doors and gates, our favourite singer, Daryl Sherman, has been reported as having enhanced Central Park with some velocipedic action.

So, what do musicians do when they're not gigging or practising or doing whatever musicians do when they're not gigging or practising? Lance

1 comment :

Steve Andrews said...

When I go out for a health-giving perambulation I walk in slow-foxtrot tempo - approx 120 beats per minute - with a tune or tunes to fit going through my mind. Oddly, melodies rather than improvisations. On occasion I go into 3/4 time but at the same tempo, which makes for rather quick waltzes - or Carlisle tempos as a West Cumbrian baritone player of my acquaintance used to call them.

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