Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 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

18721 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 585 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 18) 49

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

July

Mon 20: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 20: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. SOLD OUT!

Tue 21: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Joe Deans.

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 23: Side Café Orkestar @ New castle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Balkan, Hot Club, Klezmer.
Thu 23: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 24: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
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.

Sat 25: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. Cheek to Cheek - Ella Fitgerald. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café (within Next), MetroCentre, Gateshead. 2:00-3:00pm. Free.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Bright Street Big Band @ Sandhaven Amphitheatre, South Shields. 3.30-5.30pm.
Sun 26: Jo Harrop & Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.
Sun 26: King Bees @ Luckies, Jesmond, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues.

Monday, March 07, 2022

Sunday Night Jazz @ The Globe: Hand to Mouth - March 6

Lindsay Hannon (vocals); Bradley Johnston (guitars)

In the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, Carly Simon sang Nobody Does it Better. Hand to Mouth didn't sing/play Nobody Does it Better but the audience at The Globe last night most certainly loved them. and, if it had been in their repertoire then the title would have been very appropriate.

Lindsay, booted and mini-dressed atop a barstool and Bradley, suited and slim-jimmed at ground level, gave a performance that was, even by their standards, exceptional. 

From Brad's opening guitar intro to The Very Thought of You through to Lindsay's wistful farewell on Some Other Time the audience were spellbound - no one dared to drop a pin.

The material was, in the main, drawn from the legendary duo albums by Joe Pass and Ella Fitzgerald although Lindsay tends to sound more like a raunchy version of Peggy Lee and there's nothing wrong with that! Brad is like whoever he wants to sound like. On this occasion it was Joe Pass. In his parallel universes he could be Django Reinhardt or Pat Metheny or even himself!

I'm Thru With Love brought back memories of Marilyn Monroe singing it in the film Some Like it Hot - Lindsay got the decision. All Too Soon was followed by I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues with Brad switching to Spanish acoustic.

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, then an impromptu Mean to Me with Lindsay delivering a couple of scat choruses before Solitude and I'm a Fool to Want You brought us up to the interval.

Time for a pint of Doom Bar. As the gig featured Hand to Mouth it seemed the appropriate thing to do.

Time for the second set and nobody left. More Ella/Joe with Take Love Easy. Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You and Nature Boy were followed by, what was for me, the highlight of the evening in an evening full of highlights - These Foolish Things, soft and sensuous. Now, hours later, the line 'oh how the ghost of you clings' is still running around in my head. Brad's playing a chordal accompaniment and a bassline simultaneously added to the overall impact.

Come Rain or Come Shine, the inevitable Joni Mitchell number (Blue Motel Room) and, all too soon it, was Down With Love and Some Other Time*.

As I said at the beginning - nobody does it better. Lance

*Some other time at Bishop Auckland Town Hall (March 11) and the Lit & Phil (March 18). Both 1:00pm - 2:00pm.

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