Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Sat 09: The Vieux Carré Hot 4 'Festival of Blossom' @ Seaton Delaval Hall National Trust. 12:30 - 3.00pm. Free event (admission applies).
Sat 09: SH#RP Collective w. Lindsay Hannon @ Church of Holy Name, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00 (inc. a welcome drink). Advance booking essential. Bring own snacks, drinks to be purchased at ‘donations’ bar. All proceeds to charity. A Jesmond Community Festival event.
Sat 09: East Coast Swing Band @ Jubilee Hall, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £10.00.

Sun 10: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 12 noon. Free. Note earlier start.
Sun 10: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 10: The Chet Set @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.
Sun 10: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.

Mon 11: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 12: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Saturday, July 31, 2021

Dave O'Higgins Quartet @ The 606 Club - July 31

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

Tonight has certainly been a night for tenor saxophilites! After listening to Keith Loftis' tremendous recording (see previous post) I approached tonight's Saturday 606 session with more than a little trepidation. Would  Dave O'Higgins - one the UK's top tenor players - bear comparision with the American whom I'd just been listening to minutes before?

"Oh ye of little faith" I said to myself as Dave went into an uptempo number that I recognised but couldn't put a name to (Trane, Oliver Nelson?) - I still haven't! The post tune announcement may have been picked up by those sitting close to the stage but for us livestreamers only those who could lip read would have picked it up. Nevertheless, whatever the name, the band were cookin'. The next number was equally indecipherable - it could have been Tenor Madness or something similar. 

One of the plus points of Covid is that when you're semi-restricted to livestreams you get to hear players who, because they rarely leave London, New York, Penge or wherever are merely names in a jazz mag such as tonight when I discovered Harvey, Morrison and Brown - all stellar names that are worth keeping in mind at the next election and deserved of a seat in Westminster next to the Jazz Co-op/Globe coalition.

A tune by bassist Brown led to more familiar ground. More Than You Know, with its dramatic out of tempo intro and the contrasting middle eight, is one of the great standards and O'Higgins made it his own.

A belated recognition of Charlie Parker's hundredth last year was provided by a blast on Segment then that good old jammer - Stella by Starlight. Dave appeared to be giving some background info about the the tune and the film from which it originated but his voice didn't carry this far!

The set finished off with an original by Dave entitled Stir Crazy a feeling that most musicians have felt over the past 18 months.

Stir crazy is of course prison talk which led me to wonder if the inmates of Death Row in America who are waiting to go to the electric chair go stir fry crazy!

As ever, a great 606 set. Lance

at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive