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Bebop Spoken There

Xhosa Cole: ''Monk was unapologetically himself". (Jazzwise, February 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

17744 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 64 of them this year alone and, so far, 64 this month (Jan. 26).

From This Moment On ...

January

Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 12 noon-2:00pm (two sets). £12.00. admission (card or cash at the door). Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums). Note change of venue, no longer at Mrs M’s as advertised, the concert will be in the Old Library (Bishop Auckland Jazz’s regular venue). Important! It’s a ‘BYOB’ arrangement - ie bring your own booze (and/or tea, coffee, soft drinks).
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:00pm. ‘Klezmer, Gypsy Jazz, Balkan & More!’.
Fri 31: Nothing in Rambling @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £10.00. + bf. Country blues duo.
Fri 31 Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Wylam Institute. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. + £1.50. bf.
Fri 31: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £10.00 + bf. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.
Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00 Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 31: SwanNek + Rivkala @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. SwanNek’s new single launch gig. Pilgrim, formerly Hoochie Coochie.
Fri 31: King Bees @ Blues Underground; Nelson St., Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

February 2025

Sat 01: Alan Barnes & John Hallam with the Tom Kincaid Trio @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - Cy Coleman’s Witchcraft. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 01: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 01: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Western swing etc.

Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 02: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 02: Jive Aces @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Sun 02: John Pope + Andy Champion + Ian Paterson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Subterranean Explorations 1’. Three (half hour) solo bass sets.
Sun 02: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 03: Andy Watt & Dan Rogers @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance. Jazz, blues, folk etc.
Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 04: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.
Tue 04: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Phillips, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 04: Dilutey Juice + Life Aquatics Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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 01, 2022

The Globe Summer Festival '22 - July 31

(© Debra Milne)
The Jazz Co-op's Globe Summer Festival '22 jazz day in association with Jazz North presented four bands in quick succession. A quick turnaround kept things moving from four o'clock in the afternoon through to sometime after 9:30pm. As the first band - Dean Stockdale's swinging trio - took to the stage the room was pretty much at capacity.    

Dean Stockdale Trio: Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums)

If you like swinging, straight ahead piano trios, look no further than the Dean Stockdale Trio. Opening with I'm Old Fashioned (Stockdale quipping he was...old fashioned, that is), pianist Stockdale, bassist Mick Shoulder (pictured) and Abbie Finn presented a one hour set with each and every number (GASbook and originals) hitting the bullseye. Ellington, Stanley Turrentine, Stockdale's Mia's Lullaby, the trio in fine form, Mick Shoulder's fine bass playing, Abbie Finn's listening ear, class from beginning to end.     

Set list: I'm Old FashionedIn a Sentimental MoodOn the Sunny Side of the StreetPrelude to a KissThe HustlerMia's LullabyOut of Nowhere. 

(© Debra Milne)
Alice Grace Quartet: Alice Grace (vocals); Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums)

An unfamiliar (to your correspondent) Irving Berlin number - Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me - opened the programme. Vocalist Alice Grace is never less than excellent and this late afternoon set wasn't about to depart from the script. From Berlin to Horace Silver, not such a leap, Ms Grace requested the Railway Street audience to participate in a spot of communal 'singing' on Sister Sadie. Hmm, in retrospect it didn't do too much harm. That said, leaving it to the professionals - Grace, master guitarist Mark Williams, an inspired Paul Grainger and the aforementioned Abbie Finn - must be the preferred option! All round excellence, catch the excellent Alice Grace at this month's Newcastle Jazz Festival - August 18-21 inclusive (www.newcastlejazzfestival.co.uk). 

Set list: Love, You Didn't Do Right By MeSister SadieYou Don't Know What Love IsLove Me or Leave MeTravelling LightDevil May CareA Weaver of Dreams. 

Julian Costello Quartet: Julian Costello (tenor sax); Patrick Naylor (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Matt Skeaping (drums)

(© Debra Milne)
The day's out-of-towners, the Julian Costello Quartet, offered something a little different. Saxophonist Costello and co presented a set comprising largely of original compositions with a couple of standards thrown in for good measure. Costello arrived on Tyneside with a somewhat different line-up to that of his most recent visit - guitarist Patrick Naylor impressed with his understated, tasteful playing, the ubiquitous Paul Grainger played an absolute blinder sight-reading the charts, and drummer Matt Skeaping had every angle covered. Bandleader Costello had the presence of mind to congratulate the Jazz Co-op (The Globe) for picking up an APPJAG award for Best Venue. A nice touch.   

Set list: SunflowersConnectionsMorseLa RositaTry to Look at Yourself with a SmileThe Globe (provisional title); Caravan

(© Debra Milne)
Knats: Ferg Kilsby (trumpet); Josh Mitchell-Rayner (keyboards); Stan Woodward (bass); King David Ike-Elechi (drums)

Last, but by no means least, Knats set about rocking the joint. The quartet's bass and drums pairing (the band's senior partners at twenteen or thereabouts) put down some killer grooves - Stan Woodward must spend an awful lot of time in the Stanley Clarke-Jaco Pastorius woodshed, as for King David Ike-Elechi, it's quite something hearing and watching the affable young man knock seven shades out of the house kit. 

On keyboards, even younger young gun, Josh Mitchell-Rayner is going places (London, to be exact, soon to commence undergraduate studies), more than a match for his band mates relentless drive. And then there's the younger-than-young young gun, Ferg Kilsby. Fighting fire with fire, trumpeter Kilsby doesn't say much, in fact, he doesn't say anything, letting his horn do the talking. And can he/it talk?! Amplified, supercharged trumpet playing with more than a hint of Roy Hargrove, catch the young man from Tynedale before he too departs to study music. You've got at least another year to hear Kilsby out and about on the local scene, meanwhile Stan, King David and Josh are heading for the Smoke - watch out London! 
Russell
           
Set list: In the Pitt; 500 Fills; ?; Actual Proof; Black Narcissus; ?The Loft; Maiden Voyage; Modus Operandi; Every Sun is a Red Moon; Footprints  

1 comment :

Lance said...

Love, you didn't do right by me! My fave Rosemary Clooney number. Sang it in the movie White Christmas. Much better than the title track...

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