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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

18037 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 458 of them this year alone and, so far, 36 this month (June 11).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:30pm. Free. Concert performance (open to the public)..
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00. CANCELLED!

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: David Gray's Flextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’.
Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

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

Monday, May 09, 2022

Jazz Festival Memories 3: Guy Lafitte Quartet @ Breda Oude Stijl Jazz Festival - May 22, 1982

For those jazz fans whose leanings were, as the title implies, towards the earlier styles, the Breda Oude Stijl Jazz Festival was almost like a pilgrimage to Lourdes, or Mecca or Preservation Hall. Holidays were planned, not for Majorca or Lanzarote but for the charming Dutch city of Breda.

North east bands such as the Savannah Syncopators, the River City Jazzmen and the Saratoga Jazzmen, were frequent visitors often returning with deservedly won silverware.

The atmosphere was good, jazz seemed to reverberate throughout the city, the natives were multi-lingual and, apart from the competing bands, there were quite a few name players such as Waso, Joe Turner, Warren Vaché, Bob Wilber and French tenor saxist Guy Lafitte. 

Lafitte had played a sextet set with Wilber and Vaché earlier, which was excellent, but it was this late night set with, I think, a Dutch trio where he really came into his own.

From my scribbled programme notes I recall that his set list included: If I Had You; I Want to be Happy; Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans? and The Way You Look Tonight

It was the latter tune that stayed with me. Hawkins in the phrasing, Don Byas in the sound - quite a combination! I subsequently sought out as many of his albums as I could find and I was rarely, if ever, disappointed.

Happy days...Lance

2 comments :

Mike Farmer said...

Liked your piece about Guy Lafitte. On March 28th 1980 I was in Amsterdam and hoping to hear some jazz but there was none to be found. I did however see a sign on top of a parked car that said The Arnett Cobb Kwintet tonight in Utrecht so I got a train to Utrecht and found the venue was a small theatre which was part the station. Arnett had a great line-up Roland Hanna piano, Jimmy Woode bass and Eddie Locke drums. After a couple of tunes Arnett introduced Guy Lafitte and things really took off. Used to have a great LP of Lafitte called Corps et Arms which had Hank Jones piano, plus bass and drums.

Lance said...

Yes, Guy was a great player. I still have the LP you mention corps et âme it includes the number that kayoed me in Breda The Way You Look Tonight.

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