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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ 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. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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, December 06, 2022

A Jazz Christmas Carol by the Alan Barnes Octet

Saturday 10th December @ The Black Swan at Newcastle Arts Centre

The Alan Barnes Octet brings the jazzy ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future to The Black Swan at Newcastle Arts Centre on Saturday 10th December.

Having performed most recently in the North East with Strictly Smokin' Big Band, Paul Edis Trio and Gaz Hughes Sextet, we're pleased to see Alan return to Newcastle, this time in the fine company of his own octet: Bruce Adams (trumpet and flugelhorn), Mark Nightingale (trombone), Robert Fowler (saxophones and clarinet), Karen Sharp (saxophones and clarinet), David Newton (piano), Simon Thorpe (bass) and Clark Tracey (drums).

This suite of pieces takes the audience through the characters and scenes of ‘A Christmas Carol'. Readings from the original Dickens novella tell the story, with eight virtuoso musicians bringing the characters and scenes to life - switching audiences from hilarity to pathos with a skill that would have done credit to Dickens himself!

It's a family night out that's also a treat for the jazz connoisseur; delighting anyone who loves music or literature – or just Christmas!

Tickets available now from www.newcastle-arts-centre.co.uk, by phone 0191 261 561

2 comments :

Dave said...

Alan Barnes is coming to Town
Alan Barnes is coming to Town
A-lan Ba-a-a-arnes is co-o-o-o-ming to To-o-own
I first saw Alan Barnes in a duo with the immaculately coiffed Dave Newton in a bar on Scarborough sea front that felt like it was underground but wasn’t. I last saw him in a duo with the still immaculately coiffed Dave Newton in a village hall in Northumberland, on a hill, high above the sea.
In between Alan Barnes laid claim to being the hardest working man in show business, running through a series of projects, both recorded and played live, running his Woodville Records label, occasionally turning up in other peoples’ groups and orchestras and compering the Scarborough Jazz Festival every year.
One of the highlights was his suite Songs for Unsung Heroes co-written with playwright Alan Plater which paid tribute to, and pricked the pomposity (Miles Davis especially) of some of the stars of this music we love so much.
It is the A Jazz Christmas Carol that brings him up here this time. Recorded in a probably not very wintry September 2015 it was toured at the time with a local date at Ushaw College, Durham
The album cover shows Mr Barnes in a less than flattering nightshirt, as elegant as the average tarpaulin, that fits where it touches. For this Saturday’s gig Mr Barnes has assembled the same team that appeared on the album, (see above), with no substitutes and no one on the bench, which is no mean feat in itself. The CD runs to about 50 minutes but I expect that it will be extended by some of that improvisation we hear so much about. There will, of course, also be some of Mr Barnes’ Christmas cracker quality jokes.
I shall be at this one and will do a Terry ‘n’ Bob and try and avoid the England score until I get home and can watch the recording.
Dave Sayer

Russell said...

The Likely Lads didn't have to contend with the mobile phone. At the Black Swan on Saturday evening you could hear the muffled cry/cries of 'Get in'! Conversely, if you don't hear anything, it'll be a case of 'Vive la France'!

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