Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

June

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 18: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 19: Joe Steels Group @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 19: Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £14.33., £11.16., £8.00.
Fri 19: Martin Litton @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 (inc. bf); £6.50 (inc. bf); £15.00 on the door. Solo piano. CANCELLED!
Fri 19: Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Joe Webb support set.
Fri 19: Hot Club du Nord @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Jive Aces: The Roots of Rock & Roll @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf.

Sat 20: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer Festival, Corbridge. 5:00-6:00pm.
Sat 20: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 20: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Trinity Church, Gosforth, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. NCRO w. guests Dean Stockdale & Nick Ward.

Sun 21: From Lagos to Longbenton: Unity in the Community @ Sunderland Minster. From 1:30pm. Free. A multi-bill Unity in the Community event, inc. From Lagos to Longbenton.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio w. Graham Hardy.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 22: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 23: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, February 08, 2023

Black Swan jam session - Feb. 7

Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Rob Walker (drums) + (collectively) Edgar Bell (trumpet); David Gray (trombone); Esther Coombes (clarinet); Haaruun Miller (alto/tenor sax); Harry Keeble, Tom Dixon (tenor sax); Jeremy McMurray, Brian Chester (piano); Keith Barrett, Jacob Egglestone, Adam Sams, Giles Strong (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass guitar); Kris Finney, Abbie Finn, Bailey Rudd (drums); Jan Spencelayh, Miriam McCormick, Becky Tuck (vocals). 

The first Black Swan jam session of 2023 was, as expected jammed with punters and performers. As can be noted from the names listed above most of the usual suspects were in attendance plus a few debutantes who did justice to the staple fare of jam sessions the world over as listed below. All that was missing was Stella by Starlight and On Green Dolphin Street.
The aces and the wannabees strutted their stuff in various permutations and although, as with most jam sessions you're often flying by the seat of your pants, there were no car crashes. Good to have Brian Chester lending a hand (actually two of them) on keyboard when Alan Law went AWOL who knows but that next time he may blow some slide trombone.

Too many good things happening to mention them all but the two numbers by Becky Tuck who also moonlights as Rivkala were nothing less than sensational. They Can't Take That Away From me showed imagination and flare whilst the opening a cappella chorus to Every Time we Say Goodbye was pitch perfect. Remember her name(s).

Of course none of this could have happened without the house trio of Law, Grainger and Walker who, apart from appearing and disappearing as the sitters-in arrived and departed, played an impressive opening mini set* which included the world premiere of an Alan Law composition - Katie's Blues (or was it Katie's Blue?) whatever, it was a noble attempt and I look forward to more from his creative mind. Lance

All the Things You Are; Moonlight in Vermont; You'd be so Nice to Come Home to; No Moon at All; Black Coffee; Moon Dance; There Will Never be Another You; Black Orpheus; Tenor Madness; Beautiful Love; Come Rain or Come Shine; Nica's Dream; I Love You; They Can't Take That Away From me; Every Time we Say Goodbye.

*It Could Happen to You; Katie's Blues, I Thought About You (?).

at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive