Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.
Sat 17: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Newcastle City Library. 9:00-10:00pm. Free. A 'Late Shows' event.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

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, September 27, 2021

The Roaring Twenties @ Cadogan Hall - Sept. 25

A concert long in the planning, the pandemic put paid to the original date in September last year. In the intervening period, the show's MD, Keith Nichols, sadly died. This evening's Cadogan Hall concert would take the form of a tribute to Mr Nichols. 

The concert hall in London's Sloane Square is a regular host to Richard Pite's Jazz Repertory Company presentations and this event attracted a near capacity audience. One notable absentee from the line-up was cornetist Andy Schumm, thanks to ever-changing regulations concerning international travel, our American guest stayed home in Chicago. 

The Roaring Twenties adopted a simple formula: a selection of numbers grouped together would spotlight legendary composers and/or performers with each section introduced by Kerry Shale. Members of the all-star ensemble would, in turn, step up as featured soloists. From time to time the ten-strong ensemble would be joined by several special guests. Rico Tomasso and Peter Rudeforth wowed the classic jazz aficionados, Tomasso full value with his uncanny Louis Armstrong vocals. 

Elegant pianist Martin Litton, charged with doing justice to the late Keith Nichols, did a fine job, flanked on one side by the woodwinds (Michael McQuaid, David Horniblow and Mark Crooks) and on the other by the brass (Rico Tomasso, Peter Rudeforth and Alistair Allan). As Vimala Rowe took to the stage, it appeared few in the audience had heard of, let alone heard Vimala Rowe sing. They were about to be amazed! Singing Bessie Smith numbers, Ms Rowe could justifiably lay claim to the title Empress of the Blues

Messrs Pite (drums, sousaphone, double bass), Langham (that's Tom 'Spats' Langham, banjo, guitar and vocals) and Ball (that's the youthful looking percussionist Nick Ball) were in scintillating form - close your eyes and this was the Cotton Club, Harlem NYC! 

Janice Day, a frequent participant at the Classic Jazz Party up on Tyneside, offered a cameo with a period-style rendition of Mildred Bailey singing I Like to Do Things for You. And an unexpected, but absolutely brilliant, contribution came from none other than Guy Barker playing Bixian cornet (see photo, Barker flanked by Michael McQuaid and Alistair Allan). Barker's illustrious career - from NYJO to the Guy Barker Jazz Orchestra - includes a musical association with Keith Nichols. Barker addressed the Cadogan Hall audience, recalling a first meeting with Nichols during which he asked the early jazz authority why he wanted him to play the roll of Bix Beiderbecke. Nichols replied he didn't want to engage an established specialist, he wanted someone - Barker, a dirty bopper - who would do as he was told! 

The evening had been a great success. An unexpected finale saw the ensemble joined by a young dance troupe to send us on our way with a spirited take on The Charleston. One imagines Keith Nichols would have loved it. 

Kerry Shale (presenter); Vimala Rowe (vocals); Thomas 'Spats' Langham (banjo, guitar, vocals); Rico Tomasso (trumpet); Peter Rudeforth (trumpet); Alistair Allan (trombone); Michael McQuaid (saxophones, clarinet); Mark Crooks (saxophones, clarinet); David Horniblow (saxophones, clarinet); Martin Litton (piano); Nick Ball (drums); Richard Pite (drums, sousaphone, double bass) & special guests Guy Barker (cornet); Janice Day (vocals)

Set list: Struttin' with Some BarbecueWillie the Weeper; Sugar Foot Stomp (Louis Armstrong); I'm Coming VirginiaGoose PimplesClarinet Marmalade (Bix Beiderbecke); Black Bottom StompSmokehouse BluesDr Jazz (Jelly Roll Morton); Nobody Knows You When You're Down and OutSt Louis BluesHot Time in the Old Town Tonight (Bessie Smith); Cotton Club StompBlack BeautyOld Man Blues (Duke Ellington at the Cotton Club); The Charleston.

INTERVAL

Singin' the BluesJazz Me Blues (Bix Beiderbecke); I Like to Do Things for You (Mildred Bailey); In a Mist (Bix Beiderbecke); Sidewalk BluesGeorgia SwingBurnin' the Iceberg (Jelly Roll Morton); Careless Love BluesGive Me a PigfootCakewalkin' Babies Back Home (Bessie Smith); After You've GoneMahogany Hall Stomp (Louis Armstrong); East St Louis Toodle-Oo; Creole Love CallDiga Diga Do (Duke Ellington at the Cotton Club).  

The Roaring Twenties was a Jazz Repertory Company presentation.

No comments :

Blog Archive