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Bebop Spoken There

Francis Tulip: ''Music speaks louder than words''. (Jazzwise, June 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

17,550 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 514 of them this year alone and, so far, 92 this month (June 28).

From This Moment On ...

JULY 2025

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Hopper-Watson Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. + £1.00. bf.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 10: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Soloists, Orchestras & Hot Fives.
Thu 10: Side Café Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 11: Paul Skerritt Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church, Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00. A Bishop Auckland Jazz promotion. New venue (second Friday in the month)!
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Beehive, Earsdon NE25 0SZ. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Fiona Finden Jazz Express @ Flash House Brewery, North Shields NE30 1DS. 8:00pm. Free.

Sat 12: Jazz Stage @ Mouth of the Tyne Festival. From 12 noon. Free. Vieux Carré Jazzmen (12 noon); Rendezvous Jazz (1:00pm); Mississippi Dreamboats (2:00pm); Classic Swing (3:00pm); Abbie Finn Trio (4:00pm). Stage adjacent to Tynemouth Priory.
Sat 12: Making Music Seminar: Latin American Music v. Music of Latin America @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 1:00pm. £15.00. (£5.00. online). Jason Holcomb, Alix Shepherd & Carlos Luis Rivera.
Sat 12: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Lovaine Community Garden, North Shields. 7:00pm (doors 6:40pm). £6.00. Limited places, booking essential (via the Community Garden website). BYOF&D.
Sat 12: Hot Club du Nord @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Hall Two.
Sat 12: Sleep Suppressor @ Repas 7 by Night, Berwick. 8:00pm.
Sat 12: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle.8:00pm. Free. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Jazz Stage @ Mouth of the Tyne Festival. From 11:00am. Free. Trilogy of Four (11:00am); East Coast Jazzmen (12:10pm); Delta Prophets Trio (1:20pm); House of the Black Gardenia (2:30pm); Mouth of the Tyne All Stars (3:40pm). Stage adjacent to Tynemouth Priory.
Sun 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free. ‘The Bandstand Sessions’.
Sun 13: Julie Dexter @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm (doors). £20.00. ‘The Cluny Matinee Jazz Club’.
Sun 13: ’58 Jazz Collective, Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 2:00pm. Tea Dance. SOLD OUT! A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sun 13: Ferg Kilsby @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Kilsby (trumpet, flugelhorn); Luis Verde (alto sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Hirst (drums).
Sun 13: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Sloth Racket @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 14: Brass Bash @ Hardwick Park, Co. Durham. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Mon 14: Brass Bash @ The Story, Mount Oswald, Co. Durham. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.

Tue 15: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Sluice. Tel: 0191 237 3697. 12:30pm. ‘July Jazz Barbecue’. Tickets: £15.00.
Tue 15: Brass Bash @ Hackworth Park, Shildon, Co. Durham. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Tue 15: Brass Bash @ The Witham, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Tue 15: Julian Lage Trio @ 1856 Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm . Lage (guitar); Jorge Roeder (double bass); Joey Barron (drums).
Tue 15: Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm.
Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.

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, June 07, 2023

Black Swan Jam Session, Newcastle Arts Centre - June 6

The house trio opened up with All the Things You Are - has there ever been a jam where Kern's immortal classic didn't show up either in toto or as contrafact? Who cares? It's still a good tune.

Earlier the death of Astrud Gilberto had been announced so it was inevitable that there would be numbers associated with the Brazilian singer popping up during the course of the evening and the trio set the ball rolling with One Note Samba which, despite the title, actually contains several notes particularly in the middle eight. 

Stu sang I Thought About You despite playing keyboard and juggling with a swaying mic stand simultaneously.

It was now time for the jammers to take centre stage and first up was Kate O'Neill who sang Billy Taylor's I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free. Loud and earthy, Kate wrings out every amount of emotion from a song. The Girl From Ipanema, as Astrud demonstrated, demands a more subtle, laid back approach, nevertheless, this version offered an interesting contrast.

On both of these numbers the super Spanish sax star Luis Verde (pictured) spiced things up just as Stan Getz did on the original Ipanema.

Verde stayed aboard for Coltrane's Soul Eyes. As the name implies it was indeed soulful - beautifully so.

Alex Shipsey played bass guitar on C Jam Blues before being joined by the indefatigable Edgar whose atonal approach to jazz could be the next 'new thing' - then again ...

Showtime joined him for Watermelon Man which, if it wasn't all (Herbie) Hancock at least some of it was.

Debra Milne added her tribute to Astrud with  Corcovado (Quiet Nights) although it was perhaps too quiet. Perdido was more audible with an impressive scat chorus. By this time, Jacob Egglestone had signed in and, as always, he delivered.

A brief interval to allow Sid White to switch the kit around to suit the inscrutable Kris Finney's more orthodox set-up before Katrina Miller sang How Deep is the Ocean? An out of tempo first chorus followed by a nice easy swing feel.

Owen Jones (he's Welsh) took over on double bass and 'Showtime' showed as Theo (surname unknown) crooned They Can't Take That Away From me. It's rather wonderful that young singers such as Theo and Katrina manage to delve into the GASbook without hitting on Summertime!

Gray and Verde played Ornithology trombone and alto working well together with excellent solos then, just as the number was drawing to a close, David slipped in a vocal chorus of How High the Moon which is, of course, the chord sequence that Ornithology is based on.

Out of Nowhere had more good solos from alto and trombone plus the inevitable vocal. Is the trombonist who sings fast becoming the singer who plays trombone? Whichever, he does both very well.

At this point, knowing the hoards of 'Kissettes' would soon be exiting the nearby Utilita Arena I made my exit. However, the saga will continue shortly courtesy of Russell. Lance

Stu Collingwood (keys, vocals); Paul Grainger (bass); Sid White (drums) + Edgar Bell (trumpet); David 'Showtime' Gray (trombone, vocals); Luis Verde (alto sax); Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Alex Shipsey (bass guitar); Owen Jones (bass); Kris Finney (drums); Kate O'Neill, Katrina Miller, Theo, Debra Milne (vocals). 

(Late arrivals - see Russell's separate post) Esther Coombes (clarinet); John Pope (bass); Jamie Watkins (bass guitar); Freddie Richards (drums).

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