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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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, January 31, 2022

Grant Russell Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - Jan. 30

Grant Russell (bass); Kyran Matthews (tenor sax); Paul Kilvington (keys); Luke Flowers (drums).

A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music Manchester, 35 year old Grant Russell is a very versatile bass player, well known in the north west and beyond for his formidable technique.    

It’s been a while since Grant has been to the Railway. I think it may have been during the pre-covid days as a sideman but tonight he was fronting his own quartet and he could not have picked  a better group of musicians with whom to share the bandstand.

It was yet another rainy night in Stockport but in spite of this, the main room was almost full when I arrived and I had to sit by the bar at the back.

After a quick sound check, the concert started with Monk’s Bemsha Swing which featured some high-octane playing from Kyran Matthews who, without the use of a mic, produced a huge sound on his Selmer Mk 6 that was most impressive. He seemed inspired by the brilliant drumming of Luke Flowers and also by Paul Kilvington whose high energy keyboard skills are well suited to this group.

Things cooled down a bit for the next number, Angel Eyes,   but then warmed up with Kyran delving into some high register licks before reverting back to the theme.

Unlike the Shearing Sound who played over twenty tunes during their recent gig, the Grant Russell Quartet only played a total of eight tunes. This also may be a record for the least number of tunes played at this location. The energy level of this group remained high throughout the evening and even though they sometimes got into what may be termed avant-guard mode, most people liked what they were doing, myself included.

In the second set I was pleased to hear Paul Kilvington being featured on Smile written by comedian Charlie Chaplin. This made me wish I still had the LP Matador on which Jackie McLean did a great version of the Chaplin tune. Also, McLean played it on one of the Steeplechase recordings that he made with Dexter Gordon.

One thing I’ve noticed which is most likely age-related is I sometimes hear a band play a tune and it is one I ought to know the name of but my mind just goes blank. This happened when the band played a Tadd Dameron bop tune at a fast tempo. I had to ask Luke Flowers after the gig what the tune was called and he said Ladybird.   I was astounded as I must have played that number many times!    

Anyway, congrats to Grant for providing a really exciting evening of modern music and I hope you can do it all again sometime.

Next Railway jazz is Feb 1 - Steve Oakes Band featuring Ray Butcher - Mike Farmer 

Bemsha Swing; Angel Eyes; Hello Little Sunflower; How High the Moon; Pure Imagination; Ladybird; Smile; Bolivia.

2 comments :

Lance said...

Hey Mike I know the feeling! With standards it's easy because you can usually remember the words whilst they're playing the head but no matter how familiar I am with bop tunes, although I can often recognise the sequence, I always struggle to connect the titles the 'composers' have given to them!

Russell said...

Sounds like a tasty quartet. Kyran Matthews will, likely as not, be at the Great North Big Band Jazz Festival in Chester le Street on Saturday 5 March with the three times reigning champs in the senior big band competition, the Managers Big Band from Bolton. And what a band it is!

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