Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Charlie Parker was my introduction to the religion of music. And so he's always with me .'' - Downbeat November 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

17927 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 891 of them this year alone and, so far, 104 this month (Oct. 31).

From This Moment On ...

November

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 07: Hejira @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Celebrating Joni Mitchell.

Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm.

Sun 09: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Salty Dog @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm (doors). Jazz, blues, Americana.
Sun 09: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Sun 09: David Gray’s Flextet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tue 11: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 11: Laura Jurd @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Thu 04: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Seasonal/Festive Music & Songs - autumn into winter.
Thu 13: Awen Ensemble @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00. Jazz-folk.
Thu 13: SwanNek + Ellen Beth Adbi + Phantom Bagman @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. A BBC Introducing event.

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, April 06, 2022

Steve Oakes Band @ the Railway, Stockport - April 5

Steve Oakes (guitar); Freddie Garner  (keys); Ed Kenyak (alto sax); Gavin Barras (bass); Tim Franks (drums)

The featured guest tonight was local bebop legend Freddie Garner, who also leads his own quartet on occasions at this venue, always goes down well here. 


Steve Oakes, who plays the Railway once a month on the first Tuesday, has a style similar to that of Pat Metheny using effects pedals to vary his sound but does it tastefully without excess.  


His opening number was John Scofield's You Speak My Language, with solos all round, followed by an interesting selection of mainly originals with the exception of the final number I'll Remember April.


One tune that I particularly liked was the ballad Beatrice written by Sam Rivers for his wife. Sam Rivers was a well known musician who made some great records for Blue Note and also ran a great venue in New York’s Bowery called Studio Rivbea.  I went there a few times; there were no seats, you had to sit on the floor and if you wanted a beer Beatrice would get you one from the fridge.


Other tunes that I thought worked well were the Freddie Hubbard classic Sunflower and Wayne Shorter’s Footprints.


The next jazz night at the Railway is April 12 with the Derek Harris Trio. Mike Farmer

 

You Speak My Language; Sunflower; Beatrice; Sunny; Winelight; Footprints; Paulus; I'll Remember April.

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