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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

Friday, February 25, 2022

Knats @ Hoochie Coochie - Feb. 24

Ferg Kilsby (trumpet); Josh Mitchell-Rayner (keys); Stan Woodward (electric bass); King David Ike-Elechi (drums)

Knats' regular 'last Thursday in the month' residency at Hoochie Coochie once again saw the place packed. Tonight’s gig was held in collaboration with 'Stand Up To Racism'. A rousing opening address was given urging people to attend rallies throughout March and then the music began!

Billed originally as Knats Big Band, bassist Stan Woodward apologised that there were only Knats themselves, citing Covid and travel difficulties for the non -appearance of their guests. The audience couldn’t have cared less, they came to hear Knats and, on the opening bar. the crowd erupted!

The band started with the St. Germain classic Rose Rouge and the floor started bouncing. House? Nu jazz? Who cares? As is usual with this band they fuse genres and improvise to their hearts content. They followed with Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit (not often heard at a jazz gig) and when bassist Woodward declared 'Knats take no prisoners!'  the scene was set for the rest of the night.

There was original material: Kackbop, Piano Man Jam, Modus Operandi and the beautiful Every Sun is a Red Moon, some of which has been recorded by the band and is on various sites. There were also versions of the Gnarls Barkley track Crazy and the Nigerian Fela Kuti’s title track from his album Shakara. At the end of the night the crowd would not let the band go and they encored with another original - In The Pitt.

This is not your standard Great American Songbook jazz but it is most definitely jazz. Young, vibrant, muscular, attracting a new young audience to the genre. Three of the band are off to music colleges in London in September. Trumpeter Ferg Kilsby at only 16 years old has to wait another couple of years for his turn so catch them while they are still here. Sylvia
at

1 comment :

Chris Kilsby said...

Sylvia - many thanks for your perceptive reporting on the latest from Knats - sounds like a blast as usual! I missed it, as along with others of Knats' travelling support I was at Cobalt Studios watching Ferg's brother Dom drumming with Leeds based Yaatri (https://www.yaatrimusic.co.uk/) - Sod's law their first North East date clashed!

Yaatri have some similarities to Knats - they're young-ish (nobody's as young as Knats!), exhilarating and risk-taking, and not scared to play loud when needed. Both are making fresh new music with nods to the past, though in Yaatri's case I'm not sure where it nods to: fusion, prog, Indian - maybe Radiohead laced with Shakti? You could tell they are six dates in to touring their new album, Lucid :- they were impressively tight, making complex music flow and groove. A captivating journey matching the venue well - serene and pulsating by turn, from inside the contemplative mind to the outer reaches of the cosmos.... (well, that was my take anyway).

Yaatri close their tour in Leeds and London (Pizza Express) but are back in Newcastle in July (https://theglobenewcastle.bar/product/jul-21-yaatri/) - note to Knats - keep that date clear please - Ferg would like to hear his big brother play!

Monday, February 28, 2022 11:46:00 am

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