Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

18532 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 396 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 15) 50

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

May

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Jordan Jackson @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.80 (inc. bf); £15.40 (inc. bf).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Jazz Classics with Rivkala @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Rivkala (vocals); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Thu 21: 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 22: Paul Skerritt @ Market Place, Durham. From 12 noon. Free. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Fri 22: Paul Edis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00. Edis, Andy Champion, Steve Hanley.
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 22: Paul Edis Trio @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £TBC. Edis, Andy Champion, Steve Hanley.

Wednesday, April 05, 2023

Gavin Barras Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - April 4

(© Jeff Pritchard)
Gavin Barras (bass guitar); Sam Lightwing (tenor sax); Jamada Roberts (keys); Tim Franks (drums).

This gig was listed in the April flyer as by Ed Kainyek but for some reason Ed did not appear so Gavin Barras took over the band-leading duties and announced the tunes. Tonight Gavin played bass guitar instead of upright bass due to having back problems and was sitting on a stool to the right of the bandstand. Making their debut at this venue were two musicians new to me and doing a first class job, tenorman Sam Lightwing and keyboardman Jamada Roberts.

A few minutes into the opening number Tenor Madness I knew this was going to be an enjoyable night, the chemistry was apparent even though the replacements had only been called at very short notice. There was no pre-arranged set list. After each tune there was a short chat about what came next and I must say I liked their selection which included compositions by Sonny Rollins, Jerome Kern, Juan Tizol, Horace Silver and Kenny Dorham. Plenty to interest the audience which, although smaller than usual, responded with enthusiasm especially in the second half.


The regular jazz fans were in attendance but also some people whom I had never seen before seemed to like what they heard and there was some whoopin’ and hollerin’. The standard On the Sunny Side of the Street was well received and Sam Lightwing really nailed it. He has a sound on his sax which made me think of the late great Charlie Rouse especially during the second tune tonight Stella By Starlight. Sam told me he is a big Dexter Gordon fan and that’s something I always like to hear.


Regarding Jamada Roberts, the word exceptional springs to mind. He was inspiring the whole room and he did not put a foot wrong. The rhythm section did everything to make the gig memorable and a big hand to Gavin Barras for his work on bass guitar.


The next jazz night at the Railway will be on Sunday April 9 with Dean Masser. Mike Farmer

 

Tenor Madness; Stella by Starlight; All the Things You Are; Some Day my Prince Will Come; Blue Bossa; Caravan; Song For my Father; Sunny Side of the Street; My Favorite Things; I Got Rhythm; St Thomas.

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