Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18818 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 682 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 20) 51.

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

August

Tue 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 27: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 27: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 28: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 29: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:30pm (doors). £32.00.

Sun 30: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Tango Jazz Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Paul Hartley Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - Feb. 22

Gair Carson (reeds); Paul Hartley (guitar); Ken Marley (bass); Andy Bold (drums).

The gig started with the well-known On Green Dolphin Street, a great number to use as a warm up and Gair chose to play this on tenor sax. Carson continued to use his tenor on the second tune Remember, an Irving Berlin number which most modern jazz fans will recall was one of the tunes featured on that superb album Soul Station by the late great Hank Mobley.  Gail played  another tune from Soul Station to end the first set, This I Dig Of You. Carson  is an accomplished flute player and brought along two flutes, one of which was  an alto flute which he used to good effect on the ballad Darn That Dream.


As well as tenor sax and flutes we also heard him play alto sax and I liked his treatment of Del Sasser a tune  from the pen of Sam Jones which the Adderley brothers played frequently. I have seen Carson on previous occasions playing in big bands and also in one of the eight-piece outfits that specialise in music from the West Coast era.


Ken Marley and Andy Bold got into some nice bass and drum fours on some of the up-tempo numbers and Paul Hartley, as always, played some interesting solos on guitar. An excellent evening of modern jazz and it was nice to hear a sax player who was not too influenced by Coltrane like some of the younger musicians.


The next jazz night at the Railway will be Feb. 27 with the Dean Stockdale Trio - Mike Farmer.


On Green Dolphin Street; Remember; Jeanine; Darn That Dream; This I Dig Of You; Road Song; Ladybird; Baubles, Bangles, and Beads; I Remember Clifford; Samba de Orpheus; Del Sasser.

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