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.

Fri 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

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).

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Alan Barnes with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ Opus 4 Jazz Club, Darlington - Feb. 10

Alan Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums) + Harry Keeble (tenor sax)

Opus 4 Jazz Club was likely to be busy. When one A Barnes is in town they all want to be at the Traveller's Rest on West Auckland Road. Sure enough, long before the doors opened at the Cockerton hostelry they were queuing on the stairs. A pint of Theakston's Best, a ringside seat, we were ready to go. As at BATH earlier in the day (that's Bishop Auckland Town Hall), Alan Barnes took to the floor with Messrs Stockdale and Shoulder and Ms Finn. Two sets, time enough for the musicians to stretch out, time enough for the punters to have a few beers, in other words, an old school, proper jazz club night out.

A jam-packed room made for a sense of occasion, You Stepped Out of a Dream, Old Folks, Stablemates (Barnes springing Benny Golson's number on the trio, the verdict? A+) and an absolutely scorching Straight No Chaser (notes read AB WOW!!! and AF √√√ next day translating to Alan Barnes WOW!!! and Abbie Finn √√√). Billy Strayhorn's evocative, mist-shrouded Chelsea Bridge with  Barnes on baritone, Gerry Mulligan's Apple Core (a contrafact of Arthur Schwartz's Love Me or Leave Me) featured Finn's immaculate brushwork. A fine first set.

Interval: another pint of Theakston's, a winning raffle ticket (another CD for the collection), and onto the second set. Barnes, toting his liquorice stick, opted to play Jobim's A Felicidade, featuring a tasty Abbie Finn drum solo. It was time to introduce the evening's special guest, playing tenor sax, the amiable Harry Keeble. Our man called You and the Night and the Music, Barnes offering contrast on alto. Barnes changing to baritone on A Night in Tunisia proved to be a rollercoaster ride, all five musicians rolling with it. To close, another scorcher...Yardbird Suite, Barnes blazing on alto, Stockdale and Shoulder, heads down, giving it some, Finn on the ride cymbal a la Max Roach. It had been a cracking night, next month (March 17) it's the Gaz Hughes Trio. Make a point of being there! Russell
at

1 comment :

Ron said...

Great review Russell, as always. Great night as well. Ron

Monday, February 13, 2023 10:55:00 am

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