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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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

Sunday, February 12, 2023

The Slowlight Quartet @ Immediate Audio, Newcastle - Feb. 11

Tom Quilliam (soprano sax, tenor sax, baritone sax); Paul Loraine (keyboards); Ian 'Dodge' Paterson (bass, synth); John Hirst (drums) + YVA (vocals); Athol Cassidy (guitar); Liam Gaughan (studio recording engineer)  

This was something different. Tucked away in a corner of the Ouseburn on a rundown industrial estate lies a recording studio. The first of four performances over the course of the weekend by the recently reformed Slowlight Quartet, this Saturday afternoon recording session is slated to be part of a forthcoming 'live' album. For this project, the Slowlights - Tom Quilliam, Paul Loraine, Ian 'Dodge' Paterson and recent recruit John Hirst - were augmented by vocalist YVA and guitarist Ath 'Athol' Cassidy. 

The studio is best described as 'homely', a 'mix-and-match' selection of chairs, carpets and rugs on the floor with an adjacent small kitchen (help yourself to a beer, coffee etc) and loo. The hardware/software is, no doubt, high end stuff. Looking after all of it, the familiar figure of Liam Gaughan. As the select audience made its way into the studio, headphones were issued to one and all. As the instruments were being fed into the desk, without the cans it wouldn't be possible to hear anything other than Tom Quilliams' reeds and John Hirst's kit. We were encouraged to make some noise, applause most definitely the order of the day.

During the course of the following ninety minutes or so the Slowlights would unveil a raft of new material (pianist Paul Loraine the composer). Note, the following song titles are 'best guess' (corrections welcome). The Slowlights' music has been described as 'cinematic' (sweeping arc etc) and that's as good as any, however with the addition of YVA's vocals (aka Amy Holford) there is an element of 'nu soul' or 'neo soul', call it what you will. FirmamentOne Day at a Time, both featuring YVA, made for a good start. Bassist Ian Paterson switching between bass guitars and synth, Tom Quilliam alternately blowing soprano, tenor and baritone saxophones, Loraine discreetly directing/overseeing matters suggested many hours of rehearsal time has honed the material and these sessions were simply about laying it down.  

Guitarist Ath Cassidy shone on the bluesy ElatedGranite Boy tore it up, Quilliam and Hirst trading on a groove, the cans came off to listen to the exchange 'acoustically', as it were, Hirst taking it out in some style. Lullaby (for the end of the world) is a recent release and we heard it on this first of four sessions. The Slowlight Quartet's forthcoming album release is one to look out for and it's odds on gigs are in the offing. Russell 

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