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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

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, April 29, 2022

Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle - April 28

The upper room of the Bridge Hotel was packed with wall to wall bodies. Social distancing a thing of the past. The SSBB were back with a bang!

Gordon Goodwin's Hunting Wabbits featuring Summers on curved soprano and Parnaby on 'bone got things moving. It's an odd number with some unusual twists and turns not unlike some of those George Handy arrangements for the great Boyd Raeburn Orchestra and there's no greater compliment than that for Goodwin and, ultimately, SSBB.

Ms Grace stepped up to sing Something's Gotta Give and Willow Weep For me. Alice was in good voice.

Buddy Rich's take on Norwegian Wood followed with more fine 'boning. Emotionless Funk and a number from the band's album Harlem '58 brought pianist Don to the fore. This had a Basie kick to it, Robinson excelled on alto and CKS was the featured slideman.

Clap Yo' Hands exhorted Alice and we duly did often with added vocal approval from the bleachers! Then, at last, came the moment I'd been waiting for; a number from their heavily plugged (and. I'm told, deservedly so) latest album Strictly Smokin' Big Band Sings Ella. The title suggested that the band had formed a glee club to sing songs associated with Ella Fitzgerald. Fortunately, this wasn't totally true as the only band person to do any chanting was, of course, Alice who drew rapturous applause for I Said no. I would have liked more from the album but, as it contained a gaggle of orchestral strings, a French horn, an oboe, a harp and a conductor alongside the big band the audience would have had to sit on the railway track outside with potentially dangerous consequences (see photo).

Matt Forster's baritone was heard to advantage on My One and Only Love whilst North Shore Evening raised some debate between the more knowledgeable of us as to the time signature which, further investigation revealed, was a potpourri of 3/4, 4/4 and 7/8 - not your average meter - eat your heart out Jimmy Lally!

More 'Man of the Match' playing from Graham Don on Bob Mintzer's Mr Funk before Alice wrapped things up with All the Things You Are and Almost Like Being in Love.

A great night for lovers of big band music and there's more to come tonight!

Tonight, down in Shields South (as opposed to Shields North), another of Tyneside's big bands - the Customs House Big Band - are at the Customs House along with another fine singer, Ruth Lambert. Two great bands, two great singers = two great nights. Oh and further afield, down in deepest Darlington, as part of that metropolis' jazz festival there's the Durham Alumni Big Band and the Durham Music Service Big Band in concert at the Central Hall! 

And International Jazz Day is still a day away - Lance

Michael Lamb (MD), Pete Tanton, Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey (trumpets); Jamie Toms, Alan Marshall, Keith Robinson, Steve Summers, Matt Forster (reeds); Mark Ferris, Kieran Parnaby, Chris Kurgi-Smith, John Flood (trombones); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Graham Don (piano, keyboards); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Guy Swinton (drums); Alice Grace (vocals).

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