Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 2026)

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

18897 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 761 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 11.) 40.

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

From This Moment On

September.

Fri 18: Danny Lownes’ Hot Club @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
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: Mark Williams Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 18: Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00., £5.00. student.
Fri 18: Rivkala + Beccy Sloan @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.
Sat 19: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner: Nina Simone. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 19: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Tue 22: ???

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Monday, October 16, 2023

Origin @ Central Bar, Gateshead - Oct. 15

Francis Tulip (guitar); Vato Klemera (keyboards); Trevor Boxall (electric bass); Glenn Charles (drums)

Glenn Charles is busy touring his CD Before After All. A week or so ago Charles' band Origin joined forces with Paul Booth, making it two lads from the same neck of the woods in deepest County Durham - Booth and guitarist Francis Tulip - sharing a stage. This evening's gig at Gateshead's Central Bar didn't feature P. Booth, our man was gigging somewhere in Europe. Drummer Charles' quartet is an attraction in itself and this gig on Half Moon Lane drew a decent crowd. 

General Ramblings opened the show and from the down beat the quartet hit the ground running. Across the course of two sets, guitarist Francis 'Frank' Tulip displayed prodigious technique. We - that's those of us in BSH-land - knew FT was good, but, his playing this evening was on a whole new level. Origin's new boy, pianist Vato Klemera, made a big impression. Occupying the piano stool vacated by Will Markham, VK got to grips with Charles' charts, so much so, on more than one occasion playing right hand-only, our man held his mobile phone in his left hand to video Tulip, bassist Trevor Boxall and bandleader Charles in action! Multi-tasking with ease!

Grady (a Charles-Markham composition) produced one of the evening's highlights as FT tore it up, a blindingly good solo, as good as anything you're likely to hear. Pianist Klemera shone on Before After All (the album's title track), taking us up to a short interval.

Glenn Charles' compositions invariably incorporate myriad styles, slaloming left then right, myriad time signatures yet, somehow, it all hangs together. On Disrupt the Flow unison lines were dispatched at speed by FT and VK. Most impressive. Bandleader Charles eschews the limelight, the collective seemingly all-important. In introducing his bandmates one more time, our man forgot to mention the title of the final number. Not to worry, it was another good 'un! Origin is a fine band, a new album is in the pipeline, watch this space. Russell            
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