Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18818 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 682 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 20) 51.

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

August

Tue 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 27: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 27: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 28: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 29: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:30pm (doors). £32.00.

Sun 30: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Tango Jazz Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Black Swan Jam Session - August 9

Mark Williams (guitar); Katy Trigger (bass guitar); King David Ike-Elechi (drums) + Ed Bell, Ferg Kilsby (trumpet); David Gray (trombone); Paul Gowland (alto sax); ? (tenor sax); Edgar Ho, Martin Schultz, Alon Dagan (keys); Oscar Ho, Stan Woodward (bass guitar); ? (Hawaiian lap steel guitar); Kris Finney, Michael Mather (drums); Ian Dreever (vocal). 

Not a vintage jam, just another day at the office albeit not without its highs and its lows. Among the highs were some impressive trumpet playing by teenage protégé Kilsby whose After You've Gone could have been mistaken for Red Allen or Blue Mitchell in a blindfold test - that's how colourful it was. His cohorts from Knats, Woodward and King David, were also in top form although the latter was perhaps a tad over forceful in the opening trio set. However, he did atone for it as the evening progressed.

Good to have Katy aboard. I hadn't heard her for a while and I was enjoying her well-structured solo on There Will Never be Another You when she was cut off in mid-flight by an explosive intervention by Ed Bell that would have done some irreparable damage to Jericho's walls! Talk about coitus interruptus! Not cricket Ed old boy!

Gray and Gowland always work well together and they were cookin' with gas on How High the Moon?

The brothers Ho, inscrutable as ever, slotted in nicely on bass and keys.  Finney and Mather spelled King David on the kit with more keyboard capers from Dagan and Schultz. There was also a tenor saxist and a Hawaiian lap steel guitar player whose names I failed to get.

I also missed Dreever's vocal - a timetable change to the 27 bus service (now one an hour after 9pm) meant leaving before the finale. Still, all in all, it had been an interesting evening - Lance

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