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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

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

Monday, January 23, 2023

Neil Yates Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - Jan. 22

(© Jeff Pritchard)
Neil Yates (trumpet/tenor sax); Tony Remon (guitar); James Owston (bass);  Jim Bashford (drums)

Neil brought a really fine group of musicians with him for this gig and he gave them plenty of solo space. The bass player James Owston and the drummer Jim Bashford are from the Birmingham area while Tony Remon is from London.  Neil, although he was born in Stockport, now resides in North Wales after spending time in London where he was in great demand for recordings and concerts.


The programme consisted of mainly standards with the exception of the opener, Benny Golson’s Whisper Not and Sonny Rollins' Pent Up House. This latter tune is a real finger-buster to play on saxophone and no easier I would think on trumpet but Neil’s rendition was spot on.  


I was surprised to see a tenor sax brought into play on In a Sentimental Mood.  I asked him later what make it was and he said it was a Montreux. Can’t say I’ve heard of this make before but Neil got a nice mellow sound on it. One of my favourite jazzmen is the late Ira Sullivan who I saw a few times when he toured Europe with Red Rodney and he was fantastic on flute, trumpet and sax. Maybe we will hear more tenor from Neil on future gigs.


Guitarist Tony Remon has that Jim Hall influence that I like to hear and his solos were both interesting and melodic. I think I saw Jim Bashford with Nigel Price during last year's Swanage Jazz Festival and I hear he is on the drumming faculty at Birmingham Conservatoire so he is definitely making an impact on the UK Jazz scene. Bassman Owston is already well known having worked with Clark Tracey, Greg Abate and was seen on the BBC4 2018 Young Jazz Musician show with Xhosa Cole.


The next jazz night at the Railway is Tuesday Jan 24 with Paul Hartley Quartet featuring Brian Pendleton. Mike Farmer

 

Whisper Not; Willow Weep For Me; Pent Up House; In a Sentimental Mood; What is This Thing Called Love?; It Could Happen to You; Softly as in a Morning Sunrise; Just Friends.

2 comments :

Simon Spillett said...

How do musicians get a gig here?

Mike Farmer said...

The Railway can be contacted by phone 0161 477 3680. or www.facebook.com/railway.jazz

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