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.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 06: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Ian Bosworth (guitar); Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Jeremy McMurray (keyboards); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums) & guest Mick Donnelly (tenor sax).
Sun 06: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Ropner Park, Stockton. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Nils Kavanagh Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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).

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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