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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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

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.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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

Saturday, October 02, 2021

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music: Shiver and Run Logan Run @ Gosforth Civic Centre - Sept. 30

Shiver: Chris Sharkey (guitar); Andy Champion (electric bass); Luke Reddin-Williams (drums)

(© Ken Drew)
This appearance  by Shiver appear was in support of the launch of their new album Night School which is being released through the festival’s sister label New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings. The title comes from the burning down of Sharkey’s abandoned old school – 'I can’t remember exactly when my old school burnt down but I can tell you I was there.' The piece was developed several years ago and the recording was actually made in Leeds in 2015 after consuming fish sandwiches the size of dolphins from their local Leeds chippy (surely they should have been the size of Sharkies).

(© Ken Drew)
The evening's performance consisted  of an unbroken symphonic rendition of that recording.  Opening with a long, gentle, melodic guitar solo from Sharkey before Champion’s throbbing electric bass entered the fray. With the drums and electronic bow to the fore an industrial techno theme developed and proceedings really began to hot up as the band blazed away. A gentle bass lead with drums and guitar in support seemed to herald the end of the fire but the flames seemed to have returned as the band cranked it up once more with a Hendrix like section. Finally the embers petered out with a gentle and graceful finale.    


A fascinating immersive creation which  frequently managed  to wrong foot the audience with its unpredictable changes of direction providing a  thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining experience.

 

Run Logan Run:

Andrew Neil Hayes (sax/electronics) Matt Brown (drums);  Dan Messore (bass guitar)

(© Ken Drew)
Run Logan Run as their name suggest hit the ground with a bang from the very first blast. Powerhouse drumming and tenor playing supplemented by bass guitar and the clever use of electronic loops got everyone energized from the off. 

The band hail from Bristol, home of the great nineties’ band Portishead, and although off a different genre I was still able to detect a hint of influence. A mixture of tracks from their newly launched album - For a Brief Moment I Could Smell The Flowers - were interspersed with older material. The outcome was a punchy creative all enveloping jazz and grungy high energy  soundscape. Yet amongst this raw energetic maelstrom emerged another side with a delightful straight ahead ballad in the middle of the set.
(© Ken Drew)
 

The final two pieces of the evening couldn’t have been more appropriately chosen Give Me Back My Slippers and then what everyone  needed after such a high energy performance Cold Showers. Steve H

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