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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Swunk @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Only Six Standards.
Thu 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Alexia Gardner @ Fika Gallery, Oldgate, Morpeth NE61 1LT. 7:00pm. Trio (Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy).
Fri 18: Sarah Jane Morris & Tony Remy: The Sisterhood @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00.

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

Sunday, August 06, 2023

The Central Bar Quartet plays Wayne Shorter's JuJu @ Central Bar, Gateshead - August 6

Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums) + Abbie Finn (drums)

Nice weather (at last!), Newcastle at home to Villarreal, Sunderland at home to Ipswich Town, it was odds on there would be a small turn out for August's Central Bar jazz session. How wrong can one be?! As the black 'n' whites headed to St James' Park and the red 'n' whites made their way to the Stadium of Light, dyed-in-the-wool jazz fans made a beeline to Half Moon Lane. 

Central Bar, first Sunday in the month, it's the Central Bar Quartet (occasionally Central Bar Quintet) playing an iconic album. August's offering? Wayne Shorter's JuJu. The tenor player drafted in for the session? Harry Keeble. Shorter's 1965 Blue Note album featured Coltrane's heavyweight rhythm section. Here in Gateshead the onerous task of doing justice to the recording fell to Ben Lawrence (piano), Mick Shoulder (bass) and drummer John Bradford. 

The title track opened the session and, as one might expect, there was no reason to depart from the running order on the original recording. Ben Lawrence, over from Cumbria, put his own stamp on the McCoy Tyner sound, notably House of Jade. The ballad form Mahjong took it down a notch before a scorching take on Yes or No. Drummer - and the session's MC - John Bradford remarked that quite a few of the sessions have ended with a blues. This afternoon's set followed suit with Wayne Shorter's Twelve More Bars to Go. 

The audience showed its appreciation for the assured Harry Keeble and the Central Bar's ace rhythm section - Ben Lawrence, Mick Shoulder and John Bradford. Following an interval, a shorter (no pun intended) second set took us up to and beyond the scheduled four o'clock finish. An unusual, bossa-like, take on Giant Steps, Shorter's Miyako, Chick Corea's Windows, all broadly from the Blue Note/modernist's book. To close, John Bradford graciously stepped aside to enable Abbie Finn to join the boys on Witch Hunt. Russell     

First set: JuJu; Deluge; House of Jade; Mahjong; Yes or No; Twelve More Bars to Go 
Second set: Giant Steps; Miyako; Watermelon Man; Windows; Witch Hunt 
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