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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18069 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 390 of them this year alone and, so far, 68 this month (May 222).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:15pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall, Stocksfield. 1:30pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm.
Sat 24: Dean Stockdale Quartet + Mingus Sings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums) + Mingus Sings: Sara Oschlag (vocals); Alan Barnes (reeds); Tim Lapthorn (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); Clark Tracey (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sat 24: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 24: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sat 24: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 24: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 25: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Spanish City Plaza (outdoor stage). 11:30am & 1:00pm. Free. A Whitley Bay Carnival event.
Sun 25: Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion: Bandstand Sessions @ The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free. A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 1:30pm. Free.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Catriona Bourne Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Bourne (harp), Francis Tulip (guitar), James Owston (double bass), Joe Bainbridge (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Struggle Buggy @ The Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 25: Joe Steels Group + Norma Winstone (vocals); Nikki Iles (piano); Mike Walker (guitar); Steve Watts (double bass). 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Steels (guitar); Ferg Kilsby (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Susans (double bass); John Hirst (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 25: Xhosa Cole/Neil Charles/Mark Sanders @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A JNE promotion. Note: Xhosa Cole replaces Nicole Mitchell.

Mon 26: Catriona Bourne Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 26: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 27: Bold Big Band @ Newcastle Arts Centre, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £12.00. & £10.00.
Tue 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Front St., Rothbury NE65 7UT.7:30pm. £12.00.; £10.00. adv. from Tully’s (opp. venue).

Wed 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 28: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 28: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 29: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: That’s the Blues, Dad.
Thu 29: Nova.sol + Mikoudi @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 29: Front Porch Three @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Americana, blues etc.

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

Saturday, April 16, 2022

Ukraine Fundraiser @ St James' and St Basil's Church - April 16

It's not often that I go to church on a  Saturday and, to be honest, I haven't shown my face much on Sundays either - we each have our own way... This Saturday, however, was rather special. We weren't thinking of the troops of Midian prowling around but those of Adolph (intentional) Putin's troops decimating a country.

With all this in mind I felt that it was important that we stood up and applauded the artists who gave their services free to appear as well as the jazz fraternity - some of whom showed their faces - and, hopefully, dug deep.

Zoë Gilby and Andy Champion got the ball rolling. This was particularly special for the duo as they'd played festivals in Ukraine and bonded with many of the folks they'd met. In the past I've bemoaned the acoustics of the church but, whether or not by divine intervention, they seemed to enhance all of the afternoon's performances. Loved our girl's take on Nice Work if You Can Get it with her semi-rap ending. Oh baby she's got it!

Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Tim Johnston (drums) + David Gray (trombone). For some obscure reason, Harry didn't use the mic. This was fine when he was blowing but left the audience playing 'guess the tune!' We did guess Have You Met Miss Jones? which brought David Gray on stage and, as ever, he blew up the proverbial, but the first and last numbers were mysteries although I did find out later that the last number was Steve Kuhn's oddly titled The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers. Alan Law set down the benchmark for any pianist to follow and, perhaps, the only one who could was Paul Edis.

Paul Edis, now domiciled down south (and making a name) played a solo set that revealed just why he is held in such high esteem. A complex, but logical take on Greensleeves, Brubeck's It's a Raggy Waltz, Lord of the Dance, an amazing One Note Samba and a strange Young at Heart were just some of the numbers in his set. Hallelujah I Just Love him So wasn't in the set but I'm sure it was in the hearts of many of the listeners.

We recharged our glasses albeit not without a feeling of guilt as I recalled the original JC kicking the money changers out of the Temple (John 2: 13-16).

Ruth Lambert (vocal); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass) Tim Johnston (drums) + Jim McBriarty (clarinet). With all due respect to every one, but Ruth really nailed this one. Maybe by only a short head but, her reading of But Beautiful was one of those rare, once in a lifetime moments.  Jim McBriarty blew fine clarinet on I'm Old Fashioned and How High the Moon, with Alan Law also shooting for the moon, just perfect.

Of course the aim of the game was to raise cash for the cause and no doubt a statement will be duly issued with a special mention of Ashington's John Taylor who donated a couple of books one one of which, William Claxton's Jazz Files, went to an anonymous buyer adding £20 to the kitty in the process - well done John.

It had been a long day and I reluctantly left before the jam session.

That such enjoyment comes from sadness makes one think and wonder why so many more of the jazz fraternity weren't present ... Lance (Photos © Ken Drew)

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

Ruth’s take on “But Beautiful” brought me to tears….and I know I wasn’t the only one…

Dave said...

Hi Lance
I wish I’d known you were there. I’d have come and said hello.
I also skipped the jam. The lure of a beer in the garden was too strong on such a day.
Cheers
Dave Sayer

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