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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ 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. CANCELLED!

Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Only Six Standards.
Thu 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Fri 18: Alexia Gardner @ Fika Gallery, Oldgate, Morpeth NE61 1LT. 7:00pm. Trio (Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy).RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13

Fri 18: Sarah Jane Morris & Tony Remy: The Sisterhood @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00.

Sat 19: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 19: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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

Sunday, July 03, 2022

The Wild Women of Wylam @ The Blues, Jazz & Swing Festival. The Exchange, North Shields - July 3

(© The Exchange)
Helen Walker (trumpet); Jude Murphy (vocals/bass); Andrea Harris (vocals); Caroline Guirr (keys); Alison Paton (drums).

These women of Wylam are wild. I'm not sure if they are wanton but they're certainly wonderful!

The wildness began with what sounded like an orgasmic shriek (if my memory serves me correctly) before Andrea and Jude shared vocals on what may have been called Give me Your Love. This was good. The WWOW are the blonde bombshells of 2022 irrespective of the colour of their hair.

Jude did Twisted courtesy of Wardell Gray and Annie Ross, singing superbly and playing nice bass lines. Andrea sang Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered complete with the verse and a virtuosic, almost a coloratura, finale that left the audience totally bewitched without being at all bothered and bewildered! In between Helen blew a lovely trumpet solo.

Helen was on the money again on Senor Blues; a number that also had Caroline playing some runs that you don't find in Czerny!

Jude sang Comes Love and Andrea gave us that strangest of songs - Nature Boy. Helen blew muted and, once more, Caroline hit pay dirt (musically speaking).

Clifford Brown's Sandu proved to be fertile ground for Jude's scatting and the film, The Purple Plain provided the material for Andrea's emotive rendition of Miss Celie's Blues. Jude sang Georgia on my Mind followed by Cheek to Cheek. Caroline really went for it on that one! This was her Mona Lisa, her Tower of Pisa, her unwritten jazz piano concerto - in other words, it was okay!

More shrieking as Andrea and Jude took us out on Stevie's La La La La La. We all joined in as we knew most of the words. 

Five fine musicians - not forgetting Alison who, although hidden in the engine room away from the spotlight, provided solid support throughout and helped to ensure that this is a band to remember and, a date to remember is July 24 when the Wild Women invade the Globe*. 

It had been a fitting finale to my afternoon at The Exchange's first jazz festival. There was more to come but my carriage awaited (number 11 bus) so I bid a reluctant farewell - Lance 

*Unfortunately now postponed. In their place will be the Rebelators.

2 comments :

Patti said...

Yeah - wildly wild! This was a blast. Anyway, that great number 'Miss Celie's Blues' was from The Colour Purple, not from 'Purple Plain' - a lot of purpleness here, but Purple Plain was a British made WW2 film from 1945 .......

Lance said...

I stand corrected!

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