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

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. SOLD OUT!
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.

Thu 30: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: International Jazz Day & JANE AGM.
Thu 30: Duke Junction @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Nadim Teimoori (tenor sax); Jeff Hewer (guitar); Martin Longhawn (organ); Steve Hanley (drums). An International Jazz Day event & the 12th anniversary of Newcastle Jazz Co-op acquiring the Globe!

May

Fri 01: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 01: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 01: Bede Wind Band + East Coast Swing Band @ Cullercoats Methodist Church. 7:30pm. £10.00. Tickets from: www.ticketsource.com, members of Bede Wind Band & at the door. Memorial concert for Anne-Marie Purvis, who was a member of both ensembles. All proceeds to Tiny Lives Trust.
Fri 01: Louis Louis Louis @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.

Sat 02: Midnite Follies Orchestra @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £20.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. All-star line-up.
Sat 02: Knats Masterclass & Jam II @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 1:00-3:00pm. £15.00.
Sat 02: Shannon Pearl + John Pope & John Garner @ Langley Tracks, Langley on Tyne NE47 5LA. 5:30pm (doors). £15.00. + £1.50. bf. ‘Witch-pop’ + Pope & Garner.
Sat 02: Knats + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sat 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 03: Chilcott Jazz Mass @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 9:30am. Free. Sung communion with Parish Choir (featuring Bob Chilcott’s music). A Jesmond Community Festival event.
Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 03: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Mark Toomey (alto sax).
Sun 03: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 03: Tom Waits for No Man @ Oxygenic, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm (2:30pm doors). Neckties and Boxing Gloves album launch. £14.00 (gig & a CD); £8.00 (gig only).
Sun 03: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76.
Sun 03: John Pope & John Garner @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.

Saturday, November 19, 2022

Greg Abate @ Wakefield Jazz - Nov. 18

Greg Abate (alto sax/flute); Andrzej Baranek (piano); José Canha (bass); John Settle (drums) +  Pete Rosser (piano) on Recorda Me and Summertime.

I’d never been to Wakefield before but my friend Jeff told me that there were many roundabouts to negotiate and he was not wrong. The sat-nav was on overdrive!  Still, it was well worth the two hour drive in cold rainy conditions to see sax maestro Greg Abate who was nearing the end of a UK tour that was not without its own problems such as train cancellations and the other things that make being a travelling jazz musician a somewhat stressful occupation. In view of this he told me before the gig started that next year he had decided to only do one UK tour in November and thus will not be here in July.

Observations about the gig: 

I have heard Greg many times and he is always on top form but tonight I thought he surpassed himself - the ideas just kept on coming. This could well be my favourite live gig of 2022.

Andrzej Baranek who I usually see playing keyboards on local gigs was in his high-octane bebop mood and it was great to see and hear him on the house Yamaha grand piano. If only all jazz venues had similar instruments!


John Settle  on drums did all that was required and together with José Canha a Portuguese bass player, they did a great job in anticipating Greg’s every move. Not an easy task as Greg is often apt to change tempos when the mood takes him which he did on an amazing rendition of Dizzy Gillespie’s Night in Tunisia.


It was nice meeting Greg’s partner Kerry who had flown in recently and I hope she enjoyed the night as much as I did. 


I was surprised to find that Greg did fifteen numbers including a hip version of Happy Birthday which he dedicated to John Settle’s mother who was in the audience.


This was the perfect evening of modern jazz and thanks must be given to promoter/musician and compere Pete Rosser for getting every thing just right including the PA sound.


Closer to home, the next Railway jazz gig is tomorrow (Sunday Nov. 20) with  the Frank Griffith Quartet. Mike Farmer

 

Yardbird Suite; My Little Suede Shoes; Chelsea Bridge; Confirmation; I Remember You; Ceora; Voyage; Recorda Me; Summertime; Happy Birthday; Satin Doll; Star Eyes; Georgia On My Mind; Groovin’ High; A Night in Tunisia.  

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2 comments :

Lance said...

A great player. Let's hope he makes it to Newcastle next year - we miss him!
Incidentally, just read in DownBeat that their readers voted him into third place in the alto sax section of their annual poll.

Saturday, November 19, 2022 10:13:00 PM
Mike Farmer said...

Lance I know you watch the live shows from Smalls NYC sometimes so you may know this already but Greg Abate is due to play two sets there on Nov 25 starting 7-30pm New York time. The line up is Bill O'Connell (piano); Harvey S (bass); Jason Tiemann (drums) and Greg on reeds.

Sunday, November 20, 2022 7:58:00 PM

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