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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17655 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 929 of them this year alone and, so far, 74 this month (Dec. 31).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 01: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 01: Revolutionaires @ The Old Barrel (Flatties), Boldon Colliery. 3:30pm. Free. Excellent rhythm & blues.

Thu 02: ???

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 03: John Gregory @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.

Sat 04: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Square, Middlesbrough. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £5.00. Xmas party (rescheduled from early December).

Sun 05: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Americana, jazz & blues.
Sun 05: Papa G’s Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Mon 06: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. 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

Friday, August 11, 2023

John Garner & John Pope @ Cafe Oto, Dalston – August 6

(© Pam)
John Garner (violin); John Pope (double bass)

The advertised “doors” time for this gig was 7.30pm, so perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised when, arriving at 7.15pm, we found a queue stretching right across the front of the building out in the street. We were though (surprised) because this, after all, was a queue for a Newcastle duo playing its first ever gig at one of London’s most prestigious small venues for creative music.

Having not reserved our places in advance and having seen what that would have meant two nights earlier at Cafe Oto’s near Dalston neighbour, the Vortex (i.e. no admission), we quit philosophising and joined the queue.

Just as well that we did too since, though it wasn’t quite a matter of taking out all the tables as at the Vortex, the two Johns were greeted by a very very healthy house indeed. And my how they deserved it!

In the first set the two missionaries from the North treated the congregation to five varied pieces beginning with Jeanne Lee’s Newswatch, followed by Jimmy Garrison’s Ascendance, Albert Ayler’s Ghosts, a mash up of Monk’s Straight No Chaser with an Anthony Braxton piece and finishing with Carla Bley’s The Kitchen. Every time they paused for an announcement it was greeted with warm applause and whoops which in a new venue was clearly a real pleasure for the duo.

Intermission time saw a healthy queue at the merch table where both musicians had their music on sale.

After the break Messrs Garner and Pope returned with their extremely impressive – respectively – bowed to pizzicato and arco to plucked improvisations on compositions by Ornette Coleman, Alice Coltrane, Don Cherry and Misha Mengelberg.

Introducing a non-musical note into the evening, John Garner reminded us that this Sunday marked 78 years since the dropping of the Atomic bomb on Hiroshima. He invited us to remember those who died there as he and John played a Japanese piece titled Cherry Blossom.

The evening wound up with one of John Pope’s own compositions, Ing, and with the duo obliging the audience’s demand for an encore by bowing out with Ornette Coleman’s Blues Connotation.

On the way back to our temporary “home” for the week we re-lived the pleasures of the evening and marvelled at how blessed we are in our relatively small Northern city with all our fine creative jazz musicians. Pam & Dave

2 comments :

Steve T said...

Great venue. Saw the Arkestra there a few years back where they came in from the street, like Funkadelics my companion for the night observed.

Nigel Pownceby said...

Lovely review to read, folks, and what a pleasure for the lads to get such a positive response from the audience. I entirely endorse also, your remark about talent in the North East.

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