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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, 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

17957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 278 of them this year alone and, so far, 34 this month (April 14).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 21: Newcastle Record Fair @ Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. 10:00am. Going in search of the Buddy Bolden cylinder…
Mon 21: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

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, September 28, 2021

Pope @ Ye Olde Cross, Ryton - Sept. 24

(However, after the session in Holy Cross Church,  the day’s musical festivities were not over, but continued nearby in Ye Olde Cross pub, with the Newcastle Improvisers Orchestra - editor)

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The theory behind this grouping, the Newcastle Improvisers Orchestra, at least in its original conception as it was once explained to me, is that anyone can do it – we all have improvisational musical potential. I agree to an extent, but it has to be said that, in practice, this sort of session does tend to attract the more technically capable participant.

That applies in spades to the facilitator, bassist John Pope, a North-Easterner, but with a much wider reputation. Pope is a versatile musician, with a particular penchant for improv. Over the last decade or so, I’ve seen him with outfits as diverse as Wilbur’s Fate, ALT, Archipelago, singer Lindsay Hannon’s band, a trio with reed player Chris Biscoe and another with Dutch trombonist Walter Wierbos. His own quintet has been known to range in repertoire from Ornette Coleman to Tom Waits.

 

There was lots of bass in evidence this afternoon – Pope’s double bass plus two bass guitars. The overall instrumentation also took in trumpet/ flugelhorn, keyboards, electronics, alto sax, vocals and percussion. Musically, it was consistently interesting (and way out of my playing league, although I did use my pen to tap a bit on my notebook).

 

As if to emphasise the point, part-way in, Paul Taylor showed up and contributed the standard of piano playing you would expect from somebody very good indeed. A Pope bass undertow with a Taylor lead piano was later one of the highlights of an excellent final session.

 

Having said all that, this sort of occasion certainly has its messages for the mere bystander. In particular, the insights into the improviser’s art, provided by Pope’s tutorial moments (and the feedback he got from the other musicians) were fascinating. When and how to listen, when to assert yourself and when not to, when to lead and when to follow and when to do neither. Lessons for life as well as music. Geoff Fimister

2 comments :

Andy Wood said...

As a workshop observer I was enthralled - the level of musicianship was varied and the interaction was a joy to witness. Credit to John Pope who led the session.

James Watts said...

Loads of interesting and useful stuff was taken away from this one

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