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Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17873 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 194 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (March 14).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.
Tue 18: Phil Bancroft’s Beautiful Storm @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20 & £11.00.. A JNE-Gem Arts co-promotion.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Nicknames.
Thu 20: Terri Green Experience @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.90.
Thu 20: Lindsay Hannon Trio @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Hannon’s ‘Tom Waits for No Man’ set.
Thu 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Giles Strong Quartet @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 21: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Featuring special guest Martin Litton (piano).

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Swamp Stomp String Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Sat 22: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

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: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: The Great Deceivers @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Tom Atkinson & co play King Crimson (1969-1974). Atkinson (guitar); Josh Bentham (alto sax); Stu Dawson (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums).

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

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

Friday, August 20, 2021

Nubya Garcia @ The Proms - August 18 (BBC 4 broadcast August 20)

Nubya Garcia (tenor sax); Joe Armon-Jones (piano, Fender Rhodes); Daniel Casimir (double bass); Sam Jones (drums); Sheila Maurice-Grey (trumpet, flugel); Vula Malinga, Michelle Ndegwa, Ladonna Young (backing vocals)

Sir Henry Wood gazed down from above in wonder. Below him the Promenaders too gazed in wonder - and so they should - this was something special. We'd already had something special this afternoon at the Lit & Phil and tonight was also special albeit in a totally different way.

The jazz mags have been effusive in their praise of Nubya and her name is not unknown in some of our daily 'quality papers'. Even the New York Times rate her so the portents were ominous - had she been over-hyped?

Emphatically not!

What we saw is what we got. A tenor sax player who can play and play good - indeed very very good - Nubya's rating in the DownBeat Critic's Poll (winner in Rising Star Tenor Sax category) no longer a surprise. Blowing alongside her on several of Nubya's compositions, trumpet/flugel player Sheila Maurice-Grey was no mug either. What a great  pairing the two made. A solid rhythm section driven along by Sam Jones with outstanding solos from Casimir and Armon-Jones had me transfixed. And, if that wasn't enough the three backing singers provided some nice harmonies with Vula Malinga having a vocal feature on Boundless Beings.

The themes were all meaningful without touching on the moon and June mode. Perhaps the closest was Together is a Beautiful Place which was quite poignant -  Nubya remembering someone close who'd passed on. Lovely flugelhorn solo added to the emotive feel.

Difficult to pin down stylistically. The influence of Tomorrow's Warriors not far away, nods towards the jazz fringe but not close enough to hurt, the occasional disco feel and, if this had been the legendary last night, the Promenaders would have been shaking their booties as if they were listening to Frankie Knuckles (today is Frankie Knuckles Day!)

Little did Sir Henry know that what he started way back in 1895 would still be going strong and would include jazz which, in 1895, had yet to be invented by a chap called Jelly Roll Morton! Lance

SourceThe Message ContinuesPaceTogether is a Beautiful PlaceBefore us: In Deidara and CauraStand with Each Other; Inner GameBoundless BeingsLa cumbia me está Ilamando. 

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