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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

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

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Charlie Watts (June 2, 1941 - August 24, 2021)

Charlie Watts is gone. Unlike Ringo Starr of Beatles fame, the Rolling Stones' drummer was also involved in the jazz scene via some iconic jazz recordings at least one of which, The Charlie Watts Orchestra - Live Fulham Town Hall, can stand proudly alongside any British big band of any era. An all-star line up that included Pete King, Evan Parker, Jimmy Deuchar - in fact just about anyone who was anyone on the UK jazz scene in 1986 - it swings better than a lot of American name bands did at the time. Jack Bruce played cello and, although Charlie didn't have Adolph Hitler on vibes, he did have Jim Lawless and Bill le Sage depping for the late Führer.   

The world will remember Charlie Watts as the driving force behind The Stones, the one who shunned the headlines, the one who didn't play the field ... The jazz world will remember him for all of those things as well as as a drummer who loved playing jazz and was pretty damn good at it.

Listening again to that Fulham Town Hall concert it occured to me that this is an album that will certainly be high up on the list when I get around to naming my ten favourite big band albums.

Charlie Watts passed away earlier today (August 24).

He was 80.

Sadly missed.

Rest In Peace

Lance

Obituary

3 comments :

Dave said...

The Fulham album is marvellous, one of my all time favourites.
Dave

Steve T said...

Struck me as a decent chap and I'm not sure I'd say the same about any of his bandmates. He was the first drummer in a pop group to claim he was a jazz drummer, though far less nimble than subsequent self-proclaimed jazz drummers who played rock: Ginger Baker, Bill Bruford and Phil Collins.
All the big popstars: Beatles, Stones, Van, Wod, Bowie etc etc etc were keen to point out their debts to black music, but it never fully caught on and still hasn't. America was forced to acknowledge its Black Music, but it was the white popstars who became multi millionaires and are nowadays revered as originators. On Radio 2 today somebody was talking about Watts' debt, not just to jazz, but to Stax and Motown, but people will still go on listening to white British popstars ahead of Stax and Motown, and jazz by white British popstars ahead of Black American Originals .

Roly said...

Sad news. There has been a lot of comment and tributes in the media, BBC etc. and talking about his love of jazz, about his abilities stemming from a jazz sensibility and subtlety, his ability to swing and to always do just the right thing appropriate to the song. All really nice to hear.

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