Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,066 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 930 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 31) 109.

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

November

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Cut Capers @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).
Thu 05: Northern Reaches @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Pete Tanton, Joe Steels, Laurence Blackadder, John Hirst.
Thu 05: Fergus McCreadie @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 06: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 1/3.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Jazz Night: Bridget Metcalfe @ Saltburn House Hotel. From 6:00pm. Tickets: £40.00 (inc. a two-course meal & glass of Prosecco). Tel: 01287 658977.
Fri 06: The Exu + Kraabel/Harrison/Birchall @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Sat 07: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Ewan Bleach’s Cable Street Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington.
12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Superb band.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Find Your Pocket: Funk & Groove. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café, St James’ Retail Park, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 6:00pm.

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 11: Plague Doctors Cure All + Noonward @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

T-A-B @ The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle - August 30

Tom Atkinson (guitar, vocals); Jack Courtney (trumpet, flugelhorn); Sue Ferris (tenor sax, alto sax, flute); Deon Krishnan (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums) + Russ Tippins (guitar)

Billed as music by King Crimson, John McLaughlin etc, it was that, and more, much more. Tom Atkinson's band of rockers and jazzers is an occasional get together and when they do meet up it's a blast! Atkinson doesn't say much, he lets his guitar - and his band - do the talking for him. From King Crimson - was it Starless? - to a set-closing classic (more King Crimson), this Bridge Hotel gig was a high-octane, rockin' night out.

Jazz, funk, rock, Atkinson alluded to the unlikely juxtaposition of Terence Callier (Lazarus Man) to the jazz fusion of Billy Cobham (Atkinson as Tommy Bolin), saying to band and audience: Here we go. Known primarily as a rock guitarist, make no mistake, Atkinson knows more than a few 'jazz' chords. The bandleader's fellow soloists - Sue Ferris in blistering form, Jack Courtney's hugely impressive bebop chops at volume - stood toe-to-toe with Atkinson. The band's rhythm section - five-string funk-meister bassist Deon Krishnan and powerhouse drummer Jeff Armstrong - more than held it down. As a unit, Atkinson and co make one helluva noise!  

T-A-B (that's the Atkinson band's promotional moniker) welcomed friend, guitarist Russ Tippins, to join them on one number - Atkinson on electric, Tippins acoustic. Some of the numbers on the set list were rehearsed twenty four hours earlier. The set closer - 21st Century Schizoid Man - wasn't. Atkinson trusted his band to sight-read their parts. Amazingly, they did just that. Impressive? You bet! T-A-B returns to the Bridge Hotel this evening (Wednesday 31 August) to play Miles Davis' Jack Johnson (at volume!). Eight o'clock, a fiver at the door. Russell         
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2 comments :

Patti Durham (on F/b) said...

This was the funkiest of wild and crazy nights in that upstairs function room - what a blast it was indeed! Now for tonight's gig!

Wednesday, August 31, 2022 5:11:00 pm
Ericka said...

This is the first time I have heard such amazing creations of my own! They have simply been exceptional pieces. And the performance of each of the musicians has left me wanting to see and hear them again. Thank you for contributing to music in this way.

Saturday, September 03, 2022 1:17:00 am

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