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

18878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 742 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 4.) 21.

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.

Mon 07: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 08: Seijiro Murayama & Jean-Luc Guionnet @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Warwick St., Newcastle, NE2 1BB. 7.00pm. £10.00 (advance); £12.00 (on door); £.15.00 (solidarity).
Tue 08: SH#RP Collective @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 08: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: 58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club. 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: NONUNONU @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE. Excellent trio.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Jacenaite All Crew @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 10: Emma Rawicz INKYRA @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.30. Sage Two. Line-up: Emma Rawicz (sax); Scottie Thompson (piano, keyboards, synth); David Preston (guitar); Kevin Glasgow (bass guitar); Jack Thomas (drums).

Fri 11: Esther Bennett @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £10.00. Esther Bennett (vocals); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass).
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £14.09 (inc. bf).

Sat 12: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 12: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26 (inc. bf).

Sun 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: King Bees @ Shape Patisserie, Darlington. 3:00pm. Free. Duo (Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor). A Rhythm & Blues Fringe event. Blues excellence.
Sun 13: Alligator Gumbo @ The Cluny. 5:00pm. £17.15.; £11.43; £5.72.
Sun 13: Eternal Triangle + Andy Champion @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Newcastle Jazz Festival (day two): Northern Monkey Brass Band and Harry Keeble/Mark Williams Duo - August 19

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
Graham Hardy, Alastair Lord (trumpets); Jamie Toms (tenor sax); Mark Ferris, Keiran Parnaby (trombones); Phil Rosier (tuba); Adam Sinclair (snare drum); Brendan Murphy (bass drum)

After Thursday night's session at the Bridge the action, and some of the musicians, moved to the Black Swan for a night of contrasting music with the NMBB rocking the joint with their take on contemporary New Orleans' marching bands.

And march they did! Making their usual grand entrance from various corners of the room they eventually reached the stage amid a cacophonous, but not unpleasant, wall of sound.

That the programme was a mix of originals as well as pops associated with ABBA, The Jackson 5 and The Dixie Cups didn't lesson the jazz content.

The repertoire maybe different to what's played down Cullercoats way but the jazz is still omnipresent. How could it not be with Parnaby, Mark Ferris and Toms carrying on from where they left off the previous night? Leader Hardy and sidekick Lord hit the high notes as did Rosier who accomplished things with his tuba that would be difficult for a piccolo player! Then there was the rhythm team of Murphy and Sinclair who's infectious rhythms, be it ska or otherwise, was surely the reason that the audience crowded the floor.

You can't dance to jazz? - You can now!

Loose in a Banana Patch; Monkey Blood; Electric Dream; Simian Ska; Northern Monkey Second Line; Iko Iko; Funky Pie; Always Forward; I Want You Back.

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Mark Williams (guitar)
.

Earlier, Harry and Mark got the show on the road with an interesting duo set that took a selection of standards, jazz and otherwise, to just this side of beyond. Both have technique to spare that they utilised effectively - particularly in the interplay that occasionally brought JSB to mind.

They bounced ideas off each other with what appeared to be a spontaneous interaction.

Nobody in the audience danced but they certainly listened and applauded vigorously at the end. Lance

Bemsha Swing; All the Things You Are; The Glen; Smile; For Jan.

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