Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 742 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 4.) 21.

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

September.

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: 58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club. 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: NONUNONU @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE. Excellent trio.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Jacenaite All Crew @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 10: Emma Rawicz INKYRA @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.30. Sage Two. Line-up: Emma Rawicz (sax); Scottie Thompson (piano, keyboards, synth); David Preston (guitar); Kevin Glasgow (bass guitar); Jack Thomas (drums).

Fri 11: Esther Bennett @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £10.00. Esther Bennett (vocals); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass).
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: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £14.09 (inc. bf).

Sat 12: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 12: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26 (inc. bf).

Sun 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: King Bees @ Shape Patisserie, Darlington. 3:00pm. Free. Duo (Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor). A Rhythm & Blues Fringe event. Blues excellence.
Sun 13: Alligator Gumbo @ The Cluny. 5:00pm. £17.15.; £11.43; £5.72.
Sun 13: Eternal Triangle + Andy Champion @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 14: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.

Monday, May 30, 2022

Cedric Burnside @ The Cluny - May 29

Cedric Burnside (vocals, guitars); Artemas LeSueur (drums)

Cedric Burnside first appeared in Newcastle in February 2019, since when the world has changed somewhat with lives being put on hold, waiting out an unimagined pandemic. Now, post-lockdown, if not post-pandemic, Burnside, born in Tennessee, raised in Mississippi, is back on the road touring his latest album, I Be Trying. The Cluny gave Burnside and award-winning drummer Artemas LeSueur a warm welcome, Burnside beginning the set with several fretless six-string acoustic guitar/vocal numbers, in due course he would be joined on stage by his fellow American.

The world can be so cold could be words written about the global pandemic, whatever, the cut from Burnside's Grammy-winning album I Be Trying opened the set. Robust finger style guitar playing - Burnside must have hands of steel! - allied to no nonsense Mississippi hill country vocals reverberated from the stage, the largely standing audience into it from the off. On his previous visit to Newcastle tracks from Burnside's Benton County Relic album featured in the set and did so again this evening, Hard to Stay Cool one of them.  

Four or five numbers in, Burnside stopped suddenly, saying he couldn't find the right chord on his fretless. Rather than continue, he changed to the first of two electric guitars he had with him, in the process, introducing drummer Artemas LeSueur. From the age of ten LeSueur played drums in the Tabernacle of Prayer Church, Holly Springs, Mississippi. The recipient of an award bestowed upon him by the Clarksdale Drummers Association, LeSueur quickly demonstrated his chops, no mere timekeeper is our Mississippian!

Burnside and LeSueur knew the late Junior Kimbrough and in one of several personal anecdotes, Burnside recalled the much-missed blues guitarist (Burnside's father, drummer Calvin Jackson worked and recorded with Kimbrough), his  easy rapport with the Newcastle audience no doubt winning him many more fans. Love is the Key and many more 'front porch' hill country numbers were delivered in searing electric blues guitar style; rhythmic, pulsating, irregular meter, stylistically a tip of the hat to many of the long gone giants of the music. 

Cedric Burnside's British tour continues this evening (Monday 30) in Glasgow, Tuesday in Manchester, and on Thursday (June 2) Burnside and LeSueur can be heard at Ronnie Scott's. Russell                                    
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive