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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, 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

17972 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 293 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (April 22).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

Sat 26: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington. 12 noon. Free (donations).
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. 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

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music: The Edith Adamson Carillon – Performance 2 of 3 @ Newcastle Civic Centre. Sept. 29

(© Ken Drew)
Paul Taylor (composer); Jon Bradley (carillonneur)

Following the opening performance of this year's Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music last week, in which the debut recital of a specially commissioned piece by Paul Taylor was played by Jon Bradley on the Civic Centre's  carillon, as noted last week for Part II I arrived in the quadrangle just before kick-off at 3:00pm. 

The weather was much brighter and drier - typical 'spring' weather (such is the British weather this year!) with just a few passing white clouds against an alluring blue sky. I found the five flying swans, an artwork frozen in time above the rectangular lake (pond?).  A moment after 3:00pm two things happened. The bells of the carillon struck up, and a cyclist quickly parked up, dismounted and lay in anticipation of another relaxing hour of unique and spellbinding music unfolding.  

Last week's circumnavigation around the outside of the Civic Centre had brought new sights to my attention, and the sounds of the carillon performance were mostly evident but occasionally lost against the hubbub of the city centre traffic and passers-by (yes, people still do their voice-calls 'on-the-fly' using hands-free apparently).   Hrumph. But it was a pleasant enough tour as the bells chimed away. This week in the quadrangle, those extraneous sounds were effectively eliminated, so the chimes rang out, lightly bouncing off the four walls of the quad space. The only interlopers were those pedestrians who knew where they were going, since the two entrances/exits to the quad are in opposite corners, but still just concealed enough to make this an occasional thoroughfare.

The music, being more distinct, rang out clearly as did the 'form' and the 'flow' of the piece, with occasional rests (well earned, given the manual effort required to play the instrument). Yes, it was quite serene, and nicely backed by the distant vision of the bell tower of the Civic Centre set against the blue sky. Looking around, there were both passers-by-ers and visitors-for-the-duration.  Several 'workers' (people with a lanyard proudly displaying their allegiance/identity) wandered through with things to do, but a group of three wandered through and sat for the rest of the performance. As did a couple who nabbed a seat close the the far-off trees, opposite the swans. I did briefly wonder whether their thoughts were lost in relaxation, or given the proximity of the sycamore to them, lost in sadness for one of its relatives.  Either way, the music floated over the space providing a quite relaxing atmosphere.    

At around half way through the hour, I spied a chap in a kilt carrying bagpipes on the 'public side' of the Civic Centre. Time for a brief wander, to check the acoustics once again, and to see who else was around. Within two minutes he also struck up with some music. I think none of us would be surprised as to how far the sounds of bagpipes can, and did, travel ........ and so the bells were briefly outnumbered (!). It then became apparent through the flash-mob of a  wedding party heading towards three awaiting white limousines that a wedding had just taken place under the very bells playing out. The competing sounds lasted all of two minutes as I was compelled to return to the quad and settle back down to the peace and tranquillity which I'd earlier become accustomed to.  Bliss! The cyclist was still there, the three workers, the two peeps behind the trees, and two more (familiar) faces had appeared - music followers keen to sample the unique performace of the carillon whilst it was on offer.

So, a very much worthwhile second visit, and the much longer uninterrupted segments I heard made more 'musical' sense I guess. Well worth it, so I hope the weather is as kind next week for the final performance of this Jazz Festival-commissioned tryptich. Ken Drew

LINKSNew Jazz and Improvised Music Link (links to the label's 18 album releases, including Interlude music created for the Festival). NFoJaIM info Link (advanced tickets highly recommended for indoor performances)

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