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Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17864 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 185 of them this year alone and, so far,32 this month (March10).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tues 11: Solea @ Earthlings, the Healing Café, 94 Buckingham St., Newcastle, NE4 5QR. 7:00-8:45pm. Food available if ordered before 6:30pm. New band: Johannes Dalhuijsen (tenor sax, bass clarinet); Richard Herdman (guitar); Nick Bagnall (bass guitar); John Hirst (drums).
Tue 11: Giles Strong Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. 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: The Exu + Matt Cliffe @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 13: Oh La La! @ Allendale Village Hall, Northumberland. 7:30pm. £12.00.; £6.00. child. Fifi La Mer (accordion, vocals), Oliver Wilby (reeds).
Thu 13: Fiona Finden’s Jazz Express @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 14: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Taylor @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00-2:00pm. £5.00. at the door. Second Friday in the month lunchtime concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Brass Funkeys + Dilutey Juice @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Oh La La! @ Edmundbyers Village Hall, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. £12.00.; £10.00. (additional £5.00. supper option, ordered in advance). Fifi La Mer (accordion, vocals), Oliver Wilby (reeds).
Fri 14: The Collective @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £8.50.
Fri 14: Bridget Metcalfe Quintet @ St George’s Venue, Park Road, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.

Sat 15: Hot Teapots @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 15: Creakin’ Bones @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Is This Jazz? @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk. Performances by Mu Quintet, Jinjé, A Brief Utopia, John Pope & Co + André Marmot (author of Unapologetic Expression: The Inside Story of the UK Jazz Explosion) in conversation + DJ sets ‘til 3:00am. ‘A Festival of New Jazz’.
Sat 15: Vintage Explosion @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 15: Alligator Gumbo @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Sat 15: One Night Standards @ The White Room, Stanley. 8:00pm. £8.67 (inc. bf). Note - previously advertised Salty Dogs cancelled.
Sat 15: Howlin’ Mat @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Blues guitar.

Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: Pearl Blossoms @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime.
Sun 16: Hot 8 Brass Band @ Wylam Brewery. 7:30pm. ‘Big Tuba Tour’.
Sun 16: ARQ @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 16: Air4ce @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (8:00pm doors). £12.00.; £10.00. Tom Atkinson’s all-star band (line-up inc. Lindsay Hannon & Sue Ferris).
Sun 16: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Jamie Toms Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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, June 01, 2022

The Black Swan jam session - May 31

Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Rob Walker (drums) + (more or less in order of appearance) Haaruun Miller (alto sax, tenor sax); Felix Parkin-Christie (drums); Jan Spencelayh (vocals); Magda Ruta (vocals); Giles Strong (guitar); Chris Finney (drums); Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Niffi Osiyemi (vocals); Kit Giroux (vocals); Murray Wankling (double bass, piano); Ray Smith (drums); Ian Dreever (vocals); Susan ? (vocals); Will Reece (vocals); Edgar Bell (cornet); Michael Mather (drums) + 'Busking Elvis' (vocals)

The Black Swan jam session is nothing if not varied. The fortnightly session's recent trend of welcoming ever more newcomers - both performers and audience -  continued this evening with one sitter-in arriving from London by way of Bamburgh! In the temporary absence of drummer Rob Walker the house trio began as a duo, that's the redoubtable Messrs Collingwood and Grainger. 

MC Paul Grainger called Haaruun Miller to the stand. Miller, an Early Bird alumnus, opened on alto sax playing On Green Dolphin Street going into Scrapple from the Apple, later in the evening returning to blow some tenor. Meanwhile...Felix Parkin-Christie (name check required!) threw his metaphorical hat into the ring. Making his jam session debut at the age of fifteen, Felix held his own in some pretty fast company. He'll be back, that's for sure.

Time for Jan, that's Jan Spencelayh. Always a welcome visitor from the Tees Delta, our Musicians Unlimited's big band singer surprised us with a refreshing take on Every Breath You Take. Excellent, and Jan couldn't have wished for a better accompanist in pianist Stu Collingwood. Two top notch guitarists were in the house - Giles Strong and Jacob Egglestone. Strong, the established 'pro', Egglestone, the Newcastle University 'apprentice', both in great form. One gets the impression Egglestone has found his feet at the Black Swan. His first few jam session appearances were that of a shy, hesitant performer. Not any more, Egglestone is now playing some killer stuff, not least on Pat Metheny's Bright Size Life.

The arrival of Niffi Osiyemi invariably results in the decibel count rising at an alarming rate. Not so this evening and all the better for it. Similarly, Ian Dreever, his take on Lush Life one of the highlights of the evening. The singers were out in force, cue Kit Giroux. Yesterday, another unlikely choice, but a winning one. 

At a Black Swan jam session there invariably comes a point in the evening when events become a little hazy. Your Rivet Catcher-imbibing correspondent is yet to understand why this should be the case. To compound matters, your scribe was without notepad and pen. Thanks to bar manager KT, a length of till roll became a makeshift pad. 

The morning-after-the-night-before, said notes appear as indecipherable scrawl. However, further noteworthy comment must include mention of a memorable masterclass in the use of brushes by Ray Smith. Arriving 'up north', earlier in the day our Londoner took in the delights of Bamburgh before finding his way to the Black Swan. A class act is Ray Smith, let's hope he drops by again. Russell

1 comment :

Haaruun Miller said...

Thank you for the mention Russel!

Busking Elvis's real name is Phil Corrigan; although your appointed nickname is very appropiate. I might tease him about it!

Haaruun Miller

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