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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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, August 15, 2022

Don't knock the rock until you know where it's been!

Before they became pop/rock stars many future icons began in a jazz environment - here are a few.

Bing Crosby: Bing began as part of The Rhythm Boys with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra that included Bix, Trumbauer, the Dorseys and Eddie Lang. Bing always had a jazzy twist to his voice back then. Conversely, Sinatra's jazz sense only emerged many years later with the help of Nelson Riddle.

Nat Cole: The Nat Cole Trio was, perhaps, the swingingest trio around in the 1940s. However, once he signed with Capitol, became 'King' Cole and recorded million-sellers like Mona Lisa and Too Young with lavish  string accompaniments, the jazz slipped off the radar despite his being, arguably, the first great bebop jazz pianist.

Frankie Laine: The first of 'The Shouters' as opposed to the smooth and oftimes sickly sentimentality of Sinatra, Fisher and Co(mo). Laine began singing in Chicago joints with Muggsy Spanier. His early recordings, issued here on Oriole, were very jazz oriententated but, once he moved to Colombia where Mitch Miller ruled,  jazz disappeared - Sinatra too suffered under Miller.

Despite the emergence of Bill Haley and Elvis the jazz based pop idols moved across the Atlantic to the UK (or England as I thought of it then - still do!)

Lonnie Donegan: He played banjo and guitar with Chris Barber's New Orlean's style band. Just another sideman until Barber let him loose on an old Leadbelly number - Rock Island Line. It sold and, before you knew it, he was on TV singing numbers such as My Old Man's a Dustman and Does Your Chewing Gum Lose its Flavour on the Bedpost Overnight? Leadbelly, I suspect, was turning over in his grave and thinking, why didn't I record that shit?

Eric Burden: Came to fame with The Animals and, later, War. He had/has maybe the earthiest/funkiest sound ever to come out of Newcastle and scorch America. It all began singing with bands in and around Tyneside.

Sting: Also began in Newcastle playing bass guitar with the Newcastle Big Band, the Phoenix Jazzmen and Last Exit. He formed The Police and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Ginger Baker: Often  referred to as the greatest rock drummer of all-time, Baker's earliest recordings were with Terry Lightfoot's Jazzmen in 1957 where he provided the rhythmic impetus to such gems as I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and The Old Grey Mare - Cream was a long way away... 

Charlie Watts: The Rolling Stones were all into blues but Charlie was the only one who was truly a jazzman at heart. When fame and fortune provided the opportunity he assembled an amazing ensemble for a concert in Fulham Town Hall. You wanna hear a big band playing Flying Home? Forget about Hamp - this is it!

Georgie Fame: Not sure if Georgie qualifies. Although he had massive hits like my favourite Bonnie and Clyde (he hates it!) he's always managed to keep a foot in both worlds but, I guess, he probably wouldn't have had one without the other and he's still going strong -ish. 

Amy Winehouse: To many ears, mine included, Amy's was the greatest UK jazz voice ever. From her beginnings with NYJO, to her now treasured albums, Amy proved that, like so many of the others in this post, if you had it at the start, it never left you irrespective of where that road led. Lance

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