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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

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Emmet Cohen Trio live at (and streaming from) Small's, NYC - June 23

Emmet Cohen (piano); Philip Norris (double bass); Kyle Poole (drums)

Pandemic or no pandemic, nothing stops Small's. The Greenwich Village jazz club presents jazz seven nights a week and, what's more, each and every set is streamed live - it's been that way for many years! This evening, club regular Emmet Cohen played the early set. As usual, Kyle Poole occupied the drum stool. On bass Philip Norris - as of last week a graduate of Julliard! - joined Cohen to play a set of standards to a real, live audience at 183 W 10th St.  

The trio's set would prove to be anything but 'standard fayre'. Emmet Cohen is one hell of a piano player, then some. Future Stride from the album of the same title opened the show. Gerry Mulligan's Venus de Milo followed. What we heard was quite breathtaking, Cohen's audacious approach, seemingly without a safety net, is spellbinding. Remarkably - or perhaps less so, was it down to many hours rehearsing the set? - Norris and Poole seemed to know precisely where Cohen was heading. Given that Cohen, within a matter of a few bars, was able to switch from classical motif, to swing to stride to modal and back again, beggared belief, especially as Norris and Poole were right there with him every step of the way! Li'l Darlin' to Satin Doll, the Emmet Cohen Trio played a blinder!

Emmet Cohen, with tonight's bass and drums pairing, is due to play Ronnie Scott's on Tuesday 20 July. If the concert goes ahead, it'll be a corker!  Russell  

1 comment :

Ron said...

I endorse everything you have said about the brilliant Emmet Cohen Russell.
Ironically if it had not been for lockdown etc I may not have seen his Emmets Place Jam Sessions broadcast/streamed every Monday with top NY musicians (Each session for2hours) which he has done for 60 odd mondays and still is doing his weekly streams.
I hope one day I may get the opportunity to see see him live. Not to mention his brilliant bass player Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole
An amazing musician, obviously one of first call NY pianists and in my list of favourite jazz pianists of all time.
Ron Ainsborough

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