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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Alice Grace Quartet @ King's Hall, Newcastle - Sept. 28

(© Ken Drew)
Alice Grace (vocals); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Paul Grainger; Abbie Finn (drums)

I'd approached the uni from a different direction and found myself lost. I asked a student as to the whereabouts of King's Hall. He didn't know. I found out it was in the building he'd just left. The future could be in his hands...

However, once inside, all that was forgotten as the Alice Grace Quartet delivered a masterclass of jazz singing/playing to a packed auditorium.

Devil May Care opened up with just voice and percussion for the first chorus before Paul and Pav joined the party. Abbie took a drum solo and the show was well and truly on the road.

There Was a Time, composed by tenor sax legend Paul Booth. This was a brooding melody by one of my,  maybe the, favourite sax players. It was okay but don't give up the day job Paul.

Long Road, composed by Alice had a a nice swing to it with some interesting tempo/chord changes for Pav to cope with.

Blame it on my Youth - they don't get any better than this. It knocks Summertime into a cocked hat. If you want to be a jazz singer, forget about Cry me a River and study this one and you could do no worse than listening to Alice's version. Paul Grainger also soloed effectively.

I thought it couldn't possibly get any better than this and then, it suddenly did!

Guess Who I Saw Today is surely the greatest song/story in the long history of popular music. Eydie Gormé, Carmen McRae and Nancy Wilson nailed it and so did Alice. With only Pav for accompaniment the story unfolded. Every time I hear this song I wish that I was hearing it for the first time so strong is the punchline. Which brings me to the tiniest of criticism. I felt Alice should have put a little more emphasis on that punchline. But, who am I to criticise a  musical Mona Lisa?

No More Blues, another original from Alice, Travelling Light, led us into another classic. Love You Didn't do Right by me from the movie White Christmas where Rosemary Clooney bemoans losing the love of Bing Crosby who was 25 years her senior but that's Hollywood. 

The afternoon drew to a close with Alice scatting her way through A Night in Tunisia. Dizzy's tune originally included a few bars from Charlie Parker that became known as 'The Famous Alto Break'. Today's audience may remember it as 'The Famous Alice Break'.

Four great musicians at the top of their game. Lance

1 comment :

NeilC said...

A superb lunchtime concert with consummate musicians, in an elegant auditorium and an astounding vocalist, what a wonderful way to spend an lunchtime . A huge thank you to Newcastle University for staging this . The only minor disappointment was it did not generate a huge interest from the Students , yes there were a number there but they were outnumbered by the likes of myself and local jazz fans, which is such a shame because they missed a great show.

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