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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.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
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: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

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.

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

Monday, August 30, 2021

Jazz on a Summer's Day @ Everyman Cinema, Newcastle - August 30

(Pic by Russell)
I first saw Jazz on a Summer's Day in 1959. I watched it in Newcastle, although I can't remember the cinema. I watched it again the following day in Sunderland and, once more, the name of the cinema escapes me. However, the film remained in my memory long after The Glenn Miller Story was  forgotten.

Since then I've watched JOASD on VHS, DVD and, after the 21st century came upon us, various clips on YouTube.

But, they all pale into insignificance compared to this latest enhanced version. This was almost like seeing your favourite movie live. The big screen, the sound system, you weren't sitting in a cinema but you were out there in Rhode Island falling in love with Anita O'Day, wishing you could play like Sonny Stitt maybe chatting up one of the girls in the audience with all that, hopefully, kiss proof lipstick.

Jazz on a Summer's Day is as iconic a film in jazz terms as Woodstock or Summer of Soul (which I have yet to see) were/are.

Seeing so many legends on stage in the most famous jazz festival of them all brought goosebumps and I frequently had to restrain myself from applauding the solos - that's how real it all came across.

Of course it wasn't just the music. If it had been filmed purely as a selection of concerts it would still have been an essential for your jazz video shelf  but maybe not one you would go back to too often. But, combine the music with Bert Stern's stunning photography and you get an artform that transcends music, photography, cinematography for something that incorporates all of those contributing factors. 

I found it interesting to see from the close ups how Sonny Stitt practically swallows the mouthpiece whereas Jimmy Giuffre barely touches it - just enough to get a sound. Their contrasting tones reflected by the different embouchures.

Away from the bandstand, the shots of the audience - everyone smoked - the kids running around (maybe one of them was a future star at Newport) the America's Cup yacht race and the hilarious shots of Eli's Chosen Six blowing a boisterous brand of Dixieland in and around the site - at onetime Roswell Rudd was with the band although I don't know if he made this gig.

Louis and Teagarden, Gerry Mulligan, Dinah Washington, Mahalia. Chuck Berry, Big Maybelle (and dig that Eddie Barefield clarinet solo!), Monk, Chico Hamilton, Buck Clayton... If seeing these guys (and gals) didn't get your pulse racing then maybe you should try rockabilly or Buddy Rich's allergy.

A couple of years earlier, Ellington stole the show. One of the numbers the band played that day was Blues to be There. That's how I felt today.

Check out your local Everyman Cinema. Lance

2 comments :

Pamela Young (on F/b) said...

Absolutely wonderful film Anita O’Day was just perfection.

Nickey Garnier (on F/b) said...

A fabulous piece of Jazz history in this absolute gem of a film. A delight to see.

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