Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Lewis Watson Quartet @ Blaydon Jazz Club - Sept. 26

(© Roly Veitch)
Lewis Watson (tenor sax, soprano sax); Mark Williams (guitar); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums)

A while ago Lewis Watson emerged from a long period of (musical) hibernation. The man hadn't been heard on a jazz stage for many a moon until he popped up at Newcastle's Lit & Phil. The word got out and, as quick as you like, all seats were snapped up. Prior to the down beat, BSH Editor-in-Chief LL wondered if King Lewis could retain his crown. The opening bars of the first number dispelled any such doubts, the man was back! Fast forward a few months to an autumnal Monday evening, the nights drawing in, the temptation of England v Germany on the telly, would anyone make the effort to get along to Blaydon Jazz Club to hear King Lewis? 

(© Roly Veitch)
You bet they would! They came out of the woodwork for this one. Watson's now settled line-up - guitarist Mark Williams, bassist Mick Shoulder and drummer John Bradford - tore into Wayne Shorter's Yes or No. Tenor saxophone playing of the highest order: commanding, majestic, flowing...pretenders, contenders, get outta here! Messrs Williams, Shoulder and Bradford played their socks off, one sensed they knew this was something special. There was Trane (The Promise) with Watson on soprano, there was Jerry Bergonzi (Optimum Propensity), Joe Henderson (Inner Urge), George Adams (Autumn Song) and more Trane with a superb take on Liberia. And then there was Lewis Watson, simply magnificent.  

(© Roly Veitch)
From time to time a newspaper or magazine will run an article along the lines of: 100 things you must do before you die...Forget that, if there's one thing you must do, it's to hear Lewis Watson in full flight. It's one of the wonders of the world. Russell  
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1 comment :

Nigel Pownceby said...

I went to this gig with two non-jazz listeners (I'm sure they'd agree), and we sat enthralled just inches from the bell of LW's sax as he poured out more ... well, "soul" ... into this set than I've experienced in a long time from a single musician.
The supporting musicians provided everything (& a good deal more) that a leader could wish for, but it was Watson's performance throughout that left me wondering how on earth it was that I could be encountering it for the first time; has this fella already done with international touring and week long residencies in the capital? - because that was the quality level on offer, to my humble ears at least!
A perfect gig for a small venue too as the intimacy really seemed to enrich the connection between the musicians, their art and the audience.
Big shout out for Blaydon Jazz Club - great to see it so well supported last Monday.

Wednesday, September 28, 2022 3:57:00 pm

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