Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 2026)

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

18957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 821 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 30.) 100.

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

From This Moment On

October.

Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 07: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. Second night of two.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 08: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 08: Indigo Jazz Voices w. Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Feat. guest Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet).
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Harry Christelis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Jazz Co-op-JNE co-promotion.

Mon 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 12: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Monday, November 08, 2021

The Stuart Fowler Quintet: Freddie Hubbard's Open Sesame + jam session @ Central Bar, Gateshead - Nov. 8

Stuart Fowler (trumpet, piano); Jamie Toms (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (bass); John Bradford (drums) + Harry Keeble (tenor sax).

The second of the Central Bar's monthly sessions continued with the Blue Note theme which was fine by me - it's my era!

Tonight's opening set concentrated on Freddie Hubbard's debut album for the label - Open Sesame.

The room was crowded and when Fowler hit the opening notes of One Mint Julep I knew this was going to be as close as we were gonna get this side of Rudy Van Gelder's studio in New Jersey 60 years ago.

They did the album justice.

(Pics by Pam)
Fowler has "a tone" not the strangulated apology of so many modern trumpet players but a sound that resonates from mouthpiece to bell - Fats Navarro and Clifford Brown had it - Miles didn't.

Jamie Toms slotted nicely into the Tina Brooks role. Brooks is surely one of the most underrated of tenor players - known only to the cognoscenti.

McCoy Tyner could never said to be underrated but his understudy tonight certainly is.

Alan Law may not have many, if any, CDs to his name but he certainly should. Tonight he was on fire.

Shoulder and Bradford seem to have been on every other gig you've ever been to and, tonight they proved their worth.

So far so good, now bring on the jammers - that meanlooking bunch of saxslingers out to kick ass. Jam sessions are, in theory, the equivalent of jousting contests, battle royals, bare knuckle brawls where the combatants go toe to toe and slug it out.

Apart from Keeble, who could kick ass at Birdland there were no takers - maybe he scared them off!

Nevertheless if the fireworks weren't there it was still interesting when Fowler proved he was no one-trick-pony by playing piano on Take the A Train.

By this time the audience had begun to dwindle and the final number was called. It should have been a showstopper: Dexter v Wardell, Harry v Jamie - the stuff that jams are made of. It didn't quite happen that way. Nevertheless, despite my misgivings it was still a great session and I can't wait for the next one and to discover which gem Stuart has mined from the Blue Note catalogue.

Blue Note, real ale - Shangri-la! Lance

One Mint Julep; Open Sesame; But Beautiful; All or Nothing at All; Gypsy Blues; Hub's Nub.
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