Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
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: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
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.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

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

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Paul Hartley Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - April 25

(© Jeff Pritchard)
Paul Hartley (guitar); John Hulme (trumpet/flugel); Ken Marley (bass); Eryl Roberts (drums).

I’ve been a big fan of the flugelhorn ever since I bought a Riverside LP In Orbit by Clark Terry which has Clark playing flugel exclusively alongside Thelonious Monk, Sam Jones and Philly Joe Jones. In my opinion, it’s one of the greatest albums ever made  and if you haven’t got it, try and get it. It’s been reissued on the Original Jazz Classics label as a CD which contains one bonus track Flugelin’ the Blues.

This leads me to thinking that some tunes are ideally suited to the flugelhorn such as Freddie Hubbard’s Little Sunflower and this had John using his flugelhorn to good effect. Other highlights during the evening for me were Monk’s Well You Needn’t, a tricky tune with a fingerbusting middle eight that everyone did well to negotiate without mishap. Ken Marley, who I believe went down well in the North East recently during his gig backing Zoë Gilby, was heavily featured on this tune. He also impressed me with his basswork on Sonny Rollins' Doxy and Little Sunflower.


Paul Hartley who as well as playing some fine solos on guitar took care of announcing the numbers and we heard Eryl Roberts setting the pace on the closing number which was Ray Noble’s Cherokee. This reminded me of a recent YouTube video I watched of this tune being worked on by a quintet at NYC’s Blue Note lead by trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval and tenorman Chad LB during which they both went into the Clifford Brown scored solo at breakneck speed! Check it out!


The next jazz night at the Railway will be on Sunday April 30 with the Suzanne Fonseca Quartet. Mike Farmer

 

Sandu; Ladybird; Soul Eyes; Moon Alley; Four; Doxy; Joy Spring; Train Shuffle; Little Sunflower; Well You Needn't; April Mist; Cherokee.

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