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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

17655 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 929 of them this year alone and, so far, 74 this month (Dec. 31).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 05: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Americana, jazz & blues.
Sun 05: Papa G’s Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Mon 06: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 09: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: John H Hammond.
Thu 09: FILM: Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 2:35pm. Documentary (dir. Johan Grimonprez) ‘about jazz, (de)colonial history and activism featuring Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie’.
Thu 09: Happy Tuesdays @ Ye Olde Cross, Ryton. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 09: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 09: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. The session now monthly, next one Thursday 2nd Feb, then first Thursday in the month thereafter.

Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free.

Sat 11: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 11: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

The Black Swan jam session: Party! Party! Party! - Feb. 22

(Photo © Mike Tilley)
Some time ago the Jazz Cafe jam session, formerly at the Pink Lane venue now known as Prohibition Bar, relocated to the Black Swan in Newcastle Arts Centre. The fortnightly session has long since become the stuff of legend with stars and future stars - local, national and international - dropping by to jam with all-comers. This evening's session promised to be a little bit different. Jam session supremo Paul Grainger pulled a few strings and we were looking at a first time collaboration between Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra (NUJO) and Edinburgh University Jazz Orchestra (EUJO). It had all the makings of a memorable occasion... 

(Photo © Mike Tilley)
Anticipating a larger than usual turn out, the session moved from the intimate basement bar area into the larger performance space. Arriving earlier than usual to secure a front row table seemed like a good idea. Not soon enough, already the place was busy, busy, busy! NUJO, EUJO and others were busy 'socialising' (ie drinking as though prohibition was just around the corner, metaphorically rather than geographically). The ace house trio - Dean Stockdale (piano), Mick Shoulder (bass) and drummer Abbie Finn) - got things under way with Have You Met Miss Jones? Stockdale's first solo met with tumultuous applause. Yes, this evening was going to be somewhat different! Bassist Shoulder soloed, cue tumultuous applause, drummer Finn, ditto. Minutes into the session the room was bursting at the seams. Minutes later they were standing up against the walls. Out on the street the Black Swan's exit-entry technician had his hands full overseeing a one-in, one-out policy.

The trio pressed on, It Could Happen to You. It was all happening. Bedlam? Near enough! Non-student participants were thin on the ground, perhaps they were queuing out on the street, instrument cases in hand. Ah! Here's Harry Keeble, tenor sax in hand. Keeble, himself not long out of college (a Leeds alumnus), set down a marker blowing some great stuff on Night and Day. It was as if our man was saying to the throng of undergraduates: This is the standard! Jan Spencelayh made the trip from Teesside. She wasn't about to miss out, belting out Moondance. Excellent. What's more, the room was singing along! Edgar Bell, cornet, was in the house. Quick! Get him on stage before the students take over! Fly Me to the Moon, Bell returned to Earth, resuming his seat. 

Dean Stockdale had been taking notes. Our man invited the first of several students to sit in. From here it all became a (non-alcoholic) blur. Jack, sax, Alice, trumpet, a female baritone sax player (a good player) playing Black Orpheus. There were others, many others. Esther Coombes (NUJO clarinet, has become something of a jam session regular) pitched in alongside the tremendous NUJO trumpeter Tom Alcorn. They were joined by the EUJO boys (Oskar Jones, tenor sax*) and girls. What's that about Bedlam?! Uptown Funk blew the roof off, Valerie likewise, the room a heaving, dancing mass of bodies. As the ensemble - NUJO, EUJO et al - tore into Stevie Wonder's You Can Feel it All Over the game was up, any pretence that this was a jam session was over, this was an out-and-out party!     

In addition to being a fine tenor saxophonist, Oskar Jones is a composer of note. Tune to BBC Radio 4 next week (Monday to Friday, 1:45pm) to hear his contribution to The Lowball Tapes. Russell               

2 comments :

Unknown said...

It was a fabulous night - I hope they do it again!!!

Paul Grainger said...

Credit should go to Brian Wicks and the organisers of NUJO for setting this ball rolling. Also thanks to Kay and the Black Swan for organising a safe event.

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