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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, 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

17972 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 293 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (April 22).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

Sat 26: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington. 12 noon. Free (donations).
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. 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

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Sunday Night @ the Globe: Eternal Triangle + Andy Champion - May 14

(© Ken Drew)
Eternal Triangle: Trevor Watts (saxes); Veryan Weston (keys); Jamie Harris (percussion)

I last saw Watts  and Weston six years ago at the Bridge Hotel and before that in 2013, and I'm told that Harris previously played with Watts at the Cluny, all for Jazz North East. But their respective reputations are well  founded in countless sessions and bands with various combinations of players over the years. Tonight we were looking forward to Eternal Triangle playing the music of Trevor Watts, with compositions originally inspired by rhythmic structures from Africa and South America alongside some European musical forms. Although the band’s combination was new to me, the expectant audience arrived early to the jazz bar upstairs at the Globe, knowing what treats were in store. It was to be a full house again!

From the off, it was apparent that a rhythmically-based set was ahead of us, with Harris providing a strong lead in that department. With a front row seat, it was a delight to see how Harris played his assorted congas and cymbals - all without sticks or mallets, but just with his bare hands. 


The range of rhythms encompassing various techniques were nicely varied throughout the set, providing a sound base for the tunes called by Watts (I didn't note them down alas) and played strongly by Watts and Weston. Most had an African feel to them (no surprises there, given Watts' leadership in his ‘Moiré Music’ ensemble in which he set his freewheeling jazz against African rhythms) and here the three blended well together in a variety of rhythmic styles. Whilst the congas were rather loud, Watts could always be heard. Weston also made his presence felt in a little more laid back way, adding various voices to the mix on the Nord - occasionally looking up smiling, and enjoying the gig. Overall, it was serious stuff, yet always providing a joyous sound which the audience, and band, took delight in being part of.      


(© Ken Drew)
Andy Champion: (double bass, FX pedals)

Andy Champion had opened up the evening with a solo set with just himself, his double bass, some effects pedals, and many years of experience. He's capable of playing in a variety of settings but he seems very comfortable indeed in putting his bass, its strings* and FX pedals through their paces. What could go wrong ?  Well, actually nothing, it was flawless. From the start there was an interesting slow crescendo of bowed strings which morphed into a suite of strings (courtesy of the carefully controlled FX) which then slowly morphed into single strings, which soon became staccato strings. Then at an increasing pace, a cacophony of strings.  And so it continued! 


Champion displayed complete control over the instrument, using the pedals to great effect, and the overall sound which was sonically complex, yet told a story, giving a wonderful sonic journey of a double bass out to enjoy itself and to provide stimulation and enjoyment to the audience. If this had been a recorded performance you would wonder how many hours it took to lay down those tracks. But in reality it was all performed in real-time, providing a wonderful and exhilarating sonic performance. Next time, can we hear more? Maybe several sections of a 'Suite for Double Bass'?  Please!  

 

So, a double bill providing an absolute treat for the audience, each set providing great contrasts in where unleashed jazz can take you. Finally, I've just seen that Olie Brice is running his 'Two Ships' Festival of improvised music at Hastings (on Sat 20th May) with Eternal Triangle being supported by Faye MacCalman (solo).   We must be doing something right at Jazz North East, for others to follow what we're doing in Newcastle! Ken Drew


* I recall and often relate the time in December 2013 when, after Marilyn Crispell & Raymond MacDonald had just played a duo set, they invited  Champion to join them for an encore. He slotted in comfortably, but mid-performance one of the strings of Champion's bass snapped. Gulp!  But, not least because it was a totally improvised set (he'd never played with them before) he carried on with three strings and two loose ends. Bravo! Not something he, nor I, nor the audience will likely ever forget.

2 comments :

Russell said...

Nice review, Ken. I seem to remember Andy breaking a string on another occasion. I've never seen any other double bass player break one string, let alone two!

Pam said...

Great review Ken. Two fabulous sets!
Andy Champion is a wizard his set was nothing short of astounding!

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