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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

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

The day that Carla Bley (May 11, 1936 – October 17, 2023) brought her friends to the Toon

Back in the olden days hugely respected American jazz stars used to come to Newcastle. Having found the attached a month or so ago and filed it somewhere safe, it has taken me all morning to find it again. It dates (I think) from 1996 and marked one of two concerts by big bands (actually that should be BIG BANDS) led by American legends, the other being George Russell, that came to play. Carla’s tour was promoting the Carla Bley Big Band Goes To Church album which is a fine work and featured most of the musicians that she brought to the Playhouse.


Obviously, we’re playing some Carla at the moment in response to the news of her passing. She was a great pianist but an absolute giant in composing for modern jazz big bands. And that haircut, once seen, never forgotten. 
RIP Carla. Dave Sayer

4 comments :

Russell said...

Dave, I was at the concert, 1997 if memory serves. Some years earlier - or was it later? - Bley appeared at Newcastle City Hall as a member of the Jack Bruce Band.

Roly said...

I worked in Glasgow for a few months in 1992. While there I went to a couple of Glasgow Jazz Festival events. One was the trio with Carla, Steve Swallow & Andy Sheppard. Beautiful playing
and I often think back to that concert. It was one of those you never forget. Incidentally the other concert was Irakere who were great too.

Anonymous said...

I missed the Newcastle gig! Only saw her the once, with the trio (Swallow and Sheppard) in Istanbul. Must have been 1994/5
Jude

Anonymous said...


I was also at that concert (well, at least half of it). I was driving back from London and arrived about 9pm which turned out to be the interval at the Playhouse. As was the thing in those days there was no one at the booking office or on the doors so I wandered into the hall with the crowds returning from the bar and found an empty seat.
The music was great but my abiding memory was that there were two women with the same amazing hairstyle. The second one obviously Carla Bley's daughter who was playing the piano. She is listed amongst the band members above as Karen Mantler.

Escalator Over The Hill was a big thing for me and my jazz buddies when it came out and we spent rather too long analysing its lyrical intricacies. A few years later in the mid 70s, some of my friends went to New York for the summer and went to every jazz gig going. Somehow they were invited (or invited themselves) to Carla Bley's house and it turned out she was happy to chat to them. Amazingly she also gave them a copy of a ten page document which was supposed to be the outline for 'Escalator'.
When I looked at it I was no wiser but I think I understood she was more interested in the musical ideas rather than the plot.
JC

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