Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: John Settle Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. John Settle (vibes); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 14: Bold Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00 + bf.

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

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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