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

18897 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 761 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 11.) 40.

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.

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

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 17: Front Porch Blues @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 17: Miles 100 @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. Jack Courtney (trumpet); Sue Ferris (tenor sax); Tom Atkinson (guitar); Alan Law (piano); Deon Krishnan (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums). A night of Miles Davis.
Thu 17: Amphitrio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £7.00. Andrei Petrache (piano); Mike Alex (double bass); Philip Goron (drums).

Fri 18: Danny Lownes’ Hot Club @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Mark Williams Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 18: Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00., £5.00. student.
Fri 18: Rivkala + Beccy Sloan @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.
Sat 19: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner: Nina Simone. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 19: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Monday, July 18, 2022

Freddie Garner Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - July 17

(© Jeff Pritchard)
Freddie Garner (keys); Jim Collins  (alto/tenor sax/flute); James Adolpho (bass); Phil Bennett (drums).

For a moment I thought the Railway had brought in a summer dress code with every member of the band wearing shorts and also half the audience similarly attired. I felt a bit overdressed and, if this hot weather continues, I think I’ll have to dig out the shorts I bought on an NCL Jazz Cruise many moons ago and hope I can still fit into them!

There was an almost capacity room full of jazz fans to hear Freddie and his cohorts play a dozen tunes from their vast repertoire. The first three numbers were standards then the band got into bebop mode with Wayne Shorter’s Black Nile which featured some great tenor work from Jim Collins on his recently acquired Yamaha horn. He followed this by playing alto on a McCoy Tyner ballad Aiysha -  a tune I have never heard before. He only played flute on one number, the Charles Lloyd composition Forest Flower, but he did it justice.


Freddie Garner is still, at 85 years of age, playing as well as when I first met him during those days when the Manchester jazz scene was at its height and every day you could hear modern jazz in places like the Club 43, the Black Lion, the MSG, the Bodega and the Lower Turks Head. 


Freddie however, likes to listen to present day jazz composers such as Kenny Barron and during the second set tonight we heard his version of Barron’s Voyage  a tune I heard recently at Swanage Jazz Festival played by Greg Abate who incidently is due at this venue on Sunday July 24 with Paul Hartley’s Trio. Freddie also likes the tunes composed by Wayne Shorter and tonight he  performed two of these the aforementioned Black Nile and Footprints all aided by excellent bass and drum work from James Adolpho and Phil Bennett. 


The concert concluded with a Sonny Rollins' blues Sonnymoon For Two and everyone gave the band a sitting (?) ovation. The next jazz night here is on Tuesday July 19 with guitarist Trefor Owen. Mike Farmer

 

Yesterdays; Out of This World; Weaver of Dreams; Black Nile; Aiysha; Jeannine; I Mean You; There Is No Greater Love; Voyage; Forest Flower; Footprints; Sonnymoon For Two

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