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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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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, February 08, 2024

Scott Adair pays tribute to Dave Murphy

Dave moved to Whitley Bay from Birmingham with his mother and father in 1955. We got together in 1956, as he played piano and had a double bass, and we both loved the same style of modern jazz. We managed to practice in Dave’s church hall every Sunday with Dave on piano, myself on drums, Sam Padmore playing Dave’s bass and, would you believe? John McLaughlin on guitar. We were all 14, 15 and 16 yrs old respectively and all still at school in Whitley Bay. As time went on John went off to London then to America to become a world-famous guitar player and Sam went off to university.

Dave and I used to “sit in” at the Rex Jazz Club, Whitley Bay on Sunday evenings. Bobby Carr, Sid Warren, Arthur Mowatt were a great help and influence during this time.
Our first gig together, of any note, was with Eddie Thompson, an incredible blind pianist at the Opus 3 Club, Darlington in 1964, by courtesy of Ron Barnaby. Dave now had a proper job working full-time with British Gas at the Killingworth Research Centre but we still got together to play regularly. 

By this time we had met Dave Weisser and played at the Corner House, Whitley Bay with Friends of Jazz. In 1976, off we all went to play at the San Sebastian Jazz Festival in Spain, where the band received a great write-up in the Melody Maker.

The next milestone was the Corner House, Heaton where we, as the quintet Jazz Spirit, with me (drums), Dave (double bass), Sid Warren (saxophone), Mike Gilby (trumpet), and two great piano players: Billy Harper and Malcolm Saul. 

In 1979 Chris Yates from Jazz North East called and asked if we would mind JNE using the Corner House and our band for visiting guest players from all over the world. The answer of course was Yes! The guest players included Al Gray, Buddy Tate, Joe Newman, Harry “Sweets” Edison, and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davies to name but a few. By this time guitarist Willie Payne, whom I had previously met in Trinidad, had arrived in Newcastle. These were magic years for us all because we had the opportunity to play with such well-respected and accomplished jazz players!

In between Dave and I did the 1983 Breda Jazz Festival in the Netherlands with Peter Gascoigne (cornet), Tommy Moran (reeds), Mike Carlton (trombone), Malcolm Saul (piano) and Roy Willis (guitar). As you can imagine Peter Gascoigne made it a memorable trip! 

Dave was still working full-time up until he retired in his late sixties and had many happy years living in Dinnington with his wife Jean.

My dear friend was a lovely guy, a great player, and now a great loss to all his friends and family. Scott Adair

5 comments :

Tommy Henderson said...

Hi Scott, Loved your story,It brought back quite a few happy memories for me when i saw my old band friends mentioned, Hope you are well, Best Regards From Tommy Henderson.

Roly said...

I remember Dave from the two different Corner House venues. I didn't get to know him personally but well remember his fine, elegant double bass playing at those sessions. Roly.

Carolyn said...

So many names Dad played with! Granddaughter Jennifer hoping to follow in his footsteps… thank you Scott
Carolyn

Nick said...

Thanks for this lovely tribute, Scott. It's amazing to hear stories about my Dad. Hoping to hear more!

-Nick

Russell said...

A great read!

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