Bebop Spoken There

Warne Marsh: "At some point, you have to be prepared to create—to perform. It's vital, man, if we're talking about jazz, the original jazz, the performing art. It fulfils its meaning only when you play it live in front of an audience." DownBeat January 1983.

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

18191 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 45 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 14), 45

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence, Paul Grainger, Joe Deans.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: 2025 obituaries.
Thu 22: Ronnie Scott’s Soho Songbook @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Thu 22: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta. @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors). £6.50 (inc. bf).

Fri 23: Sue Ferris Quintet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 24: An Evening with Will Todd @ Durham Cathedral. 7:30pm. Feat. Voices of Hope, Strictly Smokin’ Big Band (members of) & Alice Grace. Performance inc. Todd’s Jazz Missa Brevis. £25.50., £13.50., £19.50., £10.50.

Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Alexia Gardner Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

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

Monday, June 12, 2023

Glen Cartledge Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - June 11

(© Jeff Pritchard)
Glen Cartledge (guitar); Andy Hunter (tenor/soprano sax);Tom Hill (bass); Andrew Wood (drums).

Lots of great tunes were played tonight by this quartet and it was good to see plenty of jazz fans turned up to hear what I thought was a very interesting mixture of familiar standards and lesser known compositions such as the opener Cedar Walton’s Martha’s Prize and Pat Martino’s Lean Years


One number that particularly caught my attention was Manteca which I remember being on one of the first ten inch LPs that I bought by Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Band and we heard some Latin style drumwork from Andrew Wood plus a bass solo from Tom Hill whose playing on this gig was nothing short of amazing.


As well as providing  some excellent tenor solos, Andy Hunter used his soprano to good effect on Sophisticated Lady, We’ll Be Together Again and What’s Goin’ On?, the latter being a big hit for soul legend Marvin Gaye. 


One thing I’ve noticed about Glen  who I’ve known since the days of the Black Lion in Salford is that as well as choosing great tunes to play he can also pick great musicians to play them. The closing number was the Freddie Hubbard classic Birdlike which only works if played at breakneck tempo and this band were well up to the challenge and all four musicians did a first rate job of tackling this tricky twelve bar blues.


The next jazz night at the Railway is on Tuesday June 13 which is a last minute alteration to the original lineup. The new lineup will be Richard Weatherall piano, Jeff Gundren saxes, Ken Marley bass and Dave Walsh drums. Mike Farmer

 

Martha’s Prize; But Not For Me; Sophisticated Lady; Manteca; Autumn Leaves; Lean Years; We’ll be Together Again; Who Can I Turn To?; What’s Goin' On?; Birdlike.

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