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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 21: Andrzej Baranek Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. £8.00. Andrzej Baranek (piano); Josh Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: David Gray Flextet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 21: Errol Linton & His Band + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Excellent blues double bill.

Monday, August 22, 2022

Newcastle Jazz Festival (day four): Emma Rawicz - August 21

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
Emma Rawicz (tenor sax, soprano sax, flute); Dean Stockdale (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Dave McKeague (drums)

The festival's closing concert performance featured Emma Rawicz, recipient of the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group's 2022 'Newcomer of the Year' award. An APPJAG award could/should generate much welcome publicity and Ms Rawicz arrived on Tyneside with quite a reputation to live up to. It begged the question: Would she meet expectations? The house trio for the occasion - Messrs Dean Stockdale, Andy Champion and Dave McKeague - met Rawicz earlier in the day for a one-off rehearsal ahead of an early evening set. A Royal Academy student headlining a jazz festival, no pressure...

Opening up on soprano sax, the word 'blistering' sprung to mind as Rawicz tore into Joe Henderson's A Shade of Jade. This was one impressive calling card. What's more, Rawicz' band mates for the occasion were right there in the fast lane with her (Andy Champion reaffirming his A-list status with a stunning solo)! Switching to tenor sax we heard In Walked Bud. No question about it, the Royal Academy student can play, then some! Drummer Dave McKeague set up a New Orleans' shuffle on April in Paris (Kurt Elling's take on the number a reference point for Rawicz) which developed into a funk-to-swing-to-funk number. Rawicz informed the Tyne Bank audience she was playing Vernon Duke's composition in public for the first time - you'd never have known it!

On her own composition Vera (for her grandmother) we heard the festival headliner playing flute. The tag 'multi-instrumentalist' could be applied to Rawicz! Excellent! On tenor once more for Sonny Rollins' Airegin and again on Body and Soul, Rawicz was acquiring new fans by the minute. To close a marvellous set, Rawicz chose to play A Weaver of Dreams. Superb musicianship all round, pianist Dean Stockdale fleetingly quoting Singin' in the Rain. The Newcastle Jazz Festival audience wanted to hear more. Ms Rawicz was happy to oblige, leaving all trailing in her wake with an 'eyeballs out' take on Impressions. Russell        
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2 comments :

Abbie said...

She finished on Yes or No Russell, not Impressions. Cracking gig!

Monday, August 22, 2022 8:20:00 pm
Russell said...

Thanks, Abbie. I was thinking was it Wayne Shorter? Great tune and a canny gig!

Monday, August 22, 2022 8:53:00 pm

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