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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.

Tue 25: Fred Wesley & the New JB’s @ The Cluny. 7:30pm (doors). £27.50. POSTPONED! New date Wednesday 26 November.

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: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong 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: 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.

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

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Scarborough Jazz Festival: Saturday Evening - Sept. 25

Okay it wasn’t Alphonse Mouzon or Dizzy again, but it was a choice that had to be made. Some local – north east – loyalty or a Nikki Iles Orchestra threatening some ‘serious’ guests. We weren’t having fish and chips (again) on my sixtieth birthday and we tend to eat late but, in the end, it came down to we’ve seen Zoë Gilby many times and will hopefully see her many more times.

The threats were real: Gareth Lockrane on flute and fluty things, guitarist Mike Walker, I hadn’t seen since a stunning performance at Southport, saxophonist Julian Siegel since the Partisans at Pizza Express, and many more.

Like much of the festival, it was postponed from last year and she spotted the irony that it was to be called the ‘face to face’ tour.

It began with a slow intro that reminded me of Gil Evans’ intro to So What on the famous television version. A piece called Wild Oak by another fine lady pianist, the late great Geri Allen. Although we would miss Zoë Gilby, Iles played a different north east connection; a piece about Red Ellen [Wilkinson], a labour party MP and minister who played a major role in the Jarrow March in 1936.

Hush was a piece inspired by Rufus Reid that she wrote for a trio and then adapted for a big band. Caged Bird was inspired by the lockdown and was a commission by the International Society in America. High Lands was arranged by Stan Sulzmann and featured her and Lockrane on some type of whistle.

I always think a flute, or better still flutes – and she had saxophonists switching to flute – add another dimension to a big band, giving an authentic American feel, perhaps inspired by countless cop show theme tunes, and none the worse for that.   

By the time we returned, it felt like I must have the largest corn or sore in the world on the little toe of my left foot, but - worryingly - there wasn’t a mark at all, raising alarms that it might be broken.  

When Alan Barnes introduced Jean Toussaint he observed that most musicians play the music but a small number of bands drive the music forward and one such band was Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Over the years they featured many of the great names in jazz, including Donald Byrd, Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Kenny Garrett and Jean Toussaint. Despite Toussaint now being resident in the UK, this was nevertheless a seriously big deal.

Shorter’s Palladium started things off as a quartet of sax, piano, bass and drums, a track off Weather Report’s Heavy Weather album I’ve been unable to find in his solo career. Kenny Dorham’s Wind Mill, an artist associated with the pre-history of the Messengers, and they were joined by a trumpeter who’d played in the Koller band the night before and I believe was Byron Wallen, though I’m not certain.

After two days of jazz, and on our seventh band, this really was really real jazz, really. Trombonist Dennis Rollins had joined them to complete the all-star sextet, alongside Andy McCormack on piano, Orlando Fleming on bass and Ben Brown on drums - even  Major Changes, Doc and Amabo all came from his latest CD Brother Raymond, the latter a tribute to Obama (spelt backwards) which drew applause for the former American president, and a high-spot of the live set.

Even my left foot couldn’t dampen my spirits and it seems being sixty isn’t so bad after all.   Steve T

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