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Bebop Spoken There

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Ann Braithwaite (Braithwaite & Katz Communications) You’re the BEST!

Holly Cooper, Mouthpiece Music: "Lance writes pull quotes like no one else!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

16408 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 288 of them this year alone and, so far, 85 this month (April 30).

From This Moment On ...

May

Thu 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 09: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 09: Lewis Watson Quartet + Langdale Youth Jazz Ensemble @ Laurel’s Theatre, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Thu 09: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Dave Archbold (keys); Ron Smith (bass).

Fri 10: Michael Woods @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free. Country blues guitar & vocals. SOLD OUT!
Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Citrus @ The Head of Steam, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £11.25.
Fri 10: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ St Cuthbert’s, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.

Sat 11: Jeffrey Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 11: Alligator Gumbo @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm.
Sat 11: Milne-Glendinning Band @ Yarm Parish Church. 7:30pm.
Sat 11: Tom Remon & Laurence Harrison @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 12: GoGo Penguin @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). All standing gig.
Sun 12: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Downstairs. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 12: Satin Beige @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.50 + bf. Upstairs. R&B cello & vocals
Sun 12: Fergus McCreadie Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £19.80.
Sun 12: Schmid/Wheatley/Prévost + Signe Emmeluth @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 13: Emma Fisk & James Birkett @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £8.00.

Tue 14: ???

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Saturday, July 29, 2023

The Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman's Jazz Club, Middlesbrough- July 27

Mark Toomey (alto sax); Jeremy McMurray (piano); Peter Ayton (bass); Paul Smith (drums).

It is always a pleasure to have this quartet, comprising, as it does some of the best jazz musicians in the Teesside area and thus guaranteeing the audience a night of interesting and exciting jazz. This also gave Mark the opportunity to demonstrate his skills as a talented composer with a number of his own  compositions.

Starting the first set with an original composition of Mark's Do You Have The Time?, a nice swinging blues with a fine  alto intro with improvised solos all round setting the style for the evening, clearly showing the quartet's high standard of musicianship.

A nicely played version of Jimmy Van Heusen's It Could Happen To You with a bass solo from Peter was followed by an up tempo Parker influenced composition of  Mark's,  Jump High.

The song Be my Love, made famous by Mario Lanza, was an unlikely choice that was, nevertheless, beautifully played proving that in the right hands the song is but musical putty in the hands of the performer. The mood was changed with Mark's ballad for his own daughter - A Song For Laura - a moving solo from Mark on alto and sympathetic piano from Jeremy.

A surprise came next when Mark invited Linda Hampton to sing On A Slow Boat To China pleasing the audience.

The final number of the first set was Mark's aptly named Those Rainy Summer Days with a Latin rhythm letting  Paul show his drumming skills with a great solo.

The popular What's New? started the second set followed by a most interesting up tempo composition of Mark's, Mark Time, with a mix of both Latin and swing, giving plenty of scope for improvisation and fours, showing just how tight an ensemble they were.

The standard, East of the Sun ( and West of the Moon) was well played before the last of Mark's compositions, a nice Latin number One More Try.

The band then excelled themselves with the final number Sonny Rollins' Tenor Madness with driving rhythm from Paul on drums, Peter on bass and blistering alto from Mark and piano from Jeremy bringing the night to a close.

A highly successful guest band night and very pleasing to see amongst the good sized audience were the musicians Alan Fearnley, Ottie McLaughlin, Garry Hadfield and Bruce Taylor. Thanks as always go to the staff of Dorman's Club for their support with the jazz club. Ron Hampton

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