Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

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

Tuesday, September 06, 2022

Remembering Ritchie Close (1951-1991)

January 19, 1968, Newtown CIU Club, Hebburn. Outside it was snowing and inside the local football club was holding a 'smoker' - a men only event that meant the room was enveloped in a blue/grey mist. The former from the language and the latter a combination of the noxious fumes from Woodbines, Player's Medium and Capstan Full Strength with maybe a Senior Service or two to give it a further nautical flavour.

On the bandstand, a drummer (Keith McGregor) and an alto saxophonist (me) awaited the arrival of pianist Dickie Close. Dickie was a good busker who I knew would be well capable of accompanying the inevitable boozy baritones who would commandeer the mic as the evening progressed.

However, it wasn't Dickie who turned up but his son Ritchie. Ritchie was 16, still at school and had some music in what appeared to be his school satchel. "Where's your dad?" I asked. "Double booked, so he sent me."

Now I knew Ritchie went to my father for piano lessons and was moving rapidly through the grades but there's a big difference between playing a Bach Prelude and Fugue from music and backing a drunk singing what sounded like Can I Phone ya in the Mornin'? in an indeterminate key that was, on occasion, somewhere between D and D#. Nevertheless, he coped fine.

Earlier, he opened his school satchel and produced a transcription of Take Five - not the simplified version but the real McCoy. "I thought we could play this" he said. I thought he may be able to but I certainly couldn't! I nodded conspiratorially in the direction of the drummer and whispered "I don't think he can play in 5/4". I could have added that neither could I but I didn't.

I did a few more gigs with him until he left for Manchester and Chetham's School of Music.

Over the years I followed his progress via his father. He played in many bands and provided the music for a lot of tv shows. Even now his name still crops up in the credits when there are reruns on cable tv.

He also worked and recorded with Tony Christie. One of the other bands was Both Hands Free which had Dave Hassell on drums. Dave played drums at the Railway last Sunday and I asked our reviewer Mike Farmer if he knew Ritchie.

Yes he was a friend of mine who died from I think Legionnaires Disease contracted  in Spain. He was a brilliant pianist and I saw him play many times. I recall a gig where he was backing Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson at the Band on the Wall and another gig when he played with Lew Tabackin at a venue in Wigan. He also composed the music for TV shows and passed away much too young. He is still talked about by those who heard him. Mike

Ritchie died in June 1991 aged 39. Lance

MORE INFO. IMDb.

No comments :

Blog Archive