Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat 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

18982 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 846 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 8.) 25.

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

October.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Feat. guest Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet).
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Harry Christelis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Jazz Co-op-JNE co-promotion.

Mon 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 12: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Julija Jacenaite (vocals).

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: A Night of Stevie Wonder @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 4:45pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 14: A Night of Stevie Wonder @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 7:30pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 14: NW FRQNC @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.00. Selina Albright, Gianni Vancini.
Wed 14: Jacob Egglestone Trio @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 15: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 15: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 15: Leah Kirk: A Strange Affair @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Leah Kirk (vocals); Alan Law (keyboards); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Thu 15: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. PJO w. guest Graham Hardy (trumpet).

Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Ancient Infinity Orchestra @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 16: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01. adv.; £15.00. on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Milne Glendinning Band @ Repas 7 by Night, West St., Berwick. 8:00pm. Free.

Thursday, October 06, 2022

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music: Farida Amadou + Bex Burch & Leafcutter + Shifa @ the Lit & Phil - Oct. 2

(© Ken Drew)
Shifa - Pat Thomas (piano); Rachel Musson (tenor sax); Mark Sanders (drums)

What a magnificent way to end a magnificent festival. The final set of the final session was an absolute barnstormer. Shifa completed the festival in some style producing a joyous set of improvised jazz . The trio employed no electronics which after a week of multiple technological odysseys was a somewhat welcome relief (I’m  hoping the cost of electricity will have risen so far by next year's festival that we will be able to enjoy more gigs where the soldering iron is not king). 

This was the  third performance for Pat Thomas of the festival (the others being Black Top and Anthropology) and I really thought that in this setting he was really able to shine. Mark Sanders is a frequent visitor to Tyneside and as ever was tremendous. I am not that familiar with Rachel Musson so Sunday night proved to be a revelation - her playing was quite brilliant. The whole set was exciting , exhilarating and explosive. The only note I made during the final number was ‘Wow’.  As the audience filed out uplifted and fulfilled it was almost possible to forgot for just a few moments the troubled times we find ourselves in – roll on the 2023 festival.


(© Ken Drew)
Bex Burch & Leafcutter John - Bex Burch (gyll, calabash, percussion, voice); Leafcutter John (modular synthesiser & sequencers)


Earlier in the evening there a very ambient set from Bex Burch and Leafcutter John. Bex Burch uses a range of African percussive instruments whilst Leafcutter uses the most modern of electronics. Somehow this juxtaposition of the ancient and space merge to create some amazing effects. In one section I was able to conjure up the image of ships passing each other in a sea surrounded by fog.

 

(© Ken Drew)
Farida Amadou a virtuoso Belgian based electric bass player got things underway.  Amadou has played with many of Europe’s top improvisors including  Jasper Stadhouders, Julien Desprez , Mette Rasmussen and Newcastle favourite Steve Noble.  Sunday’s solo set conjured up a wall of sound with a hint of techno thrown in.  It  was captivating stuff and got an incredible level of appreciation from the audience which Amdaou acknowledged with a wave before gliding out of the auditorium.  Steve H

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