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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ 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: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Saturday, July 03, 2021

The Blind Pig Blues Club presents Michael Littlefield & Lee Bates @ Prohibition Bar - July 2

It had been a while since the Blind Pig Blues Club put on a show. This evening, the main men - Michael Littlefield and Lee Bates - decided to play one solo acoustic set each. As Littlefield took to the stage, Prohibition Bar was rather quiet. A first bottle of 33, the house beer (a pale ale), and we were ready to go.      

Michael Littlefield (guitar, vocals)

Opening with Jimmy Rogers' 1950 recording That's All Right, King Bees' frontman Littlefield said he'd been learning some new material during lockdown. Later, we would hear some of it. Jimmy Reed's You Got Me Dizzy, a brace from Robert Johnson - Kind Hearted Woman and 32-20 Blues - to Riley Puckett's old timey Can't Put That Monkey on My Back, it was clear a prolonged period of inactivity hadn't impaired Littlefield's abilities - voice spot on, ditto guitar. 

Sit Down Baby (Otis Rush), Make Me a Pallet on the Floor (the late Dave Rae, of Rae Bros NOJB fame, sang a great version of the tune), slide time on Dust My Broom to Poor Boy, Long Way from Home, this was great stuff. A calypso - Bally Mena - mixed it up, earlier Jelly Roll Morton's Why? did just that, adding an element of ragtime and classic era jazz to the mix. 

That's All I Need (Magic Sam), It's a Sin to Tell a Lie, Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop, without question, Michael Littlefield is back firing on all six cylinders!  
  
Lee Bates (guitar, vocals)

How to follow that? Well, there's no one better equipped than the Blind Pig Blues Club's co-founder, Lee Bates. In addition to playing and singing the blues, LB has a string of one-liners in his back pocket. Choice material and hugely entertaining, that's Lee Bates. 

Bo Carter's Old Devil, Josh White's Broad Players Blues, Skip James' If You Haven't Any Hay, Don't Get on the Road, Bates is a serious student of the blues. Blind Boy Fuller's Funny Feeling Blues, Blind Blake's Skeedle Loo Doo Blues (Bates confessing: I can't get anywhere near [Blind Blake's version]), the hour flew by. It had been an evening of top class blues performed by two canny, seriously talented, blokes. 

Michael Littlefield will be back in action on Sunday with the  House of the Black Gardenia. The Globe (Newcastle Jazz Co-op) is a sell out for the band's eagerly anticipated set but there is an online streaming option. Visit: www.jazz.coop.

Next month's Blind Pig session (Friday 6 August) presents the King Bees (feat. M. Littlefied, guitar & vocals). If you're yet to hear the band, get on down to Pink Lane, they're the business! And Lee Bates returns to Prohibition Bar with his band Struggle Buggy on Friday 3 September. Russell            
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