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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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
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: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 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. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

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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