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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ Three Sheets to the Wind, Alnwick. 5:15pm or 5:45pm (times tbc). Part of the Alnwick Story Festival's music fringe programme: Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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, February 07, 2024

The Easily Confused Black Swan jam session @ Newcastle Arts Centre - Feb. 6

Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass, drums); Abbie Finn (drums) + Harry Keeble (tenor sax, piano); Shivan Ruddick (trumpet); Paul Ruddick (alto sax); Ian Drever (vocals); Alec Gamble (guitar); Alex Shipsey (bass guitar, drums); John Rowland (tenor sax); Miriam McCormick (vocals); James Palmer (trumpet); Johannes Dalhuitsen (bass clarinet, tenor sax); Owen Jones (double bass); Kate O'Neill (vocals); Lily ? (vocals);  David Gray (trombone, vocals); Edgar Bell (trumpet); Esther Coombes (clarinet, alto sax); Eva Fox (vocals) 

A typical Black Swan jam session sees the house trio playing a few tunes to warm up before the first of many sitters-in get up to do their thing. This evening there was the temptation to describe the occasion as 'the the easily confused jam session'! If you took your eye off the ball for a moment (ie went to the bar, wc etc.) you could be forgiven for not knowing who came off the bench for who, particularly as more than one musician opted to play an instrument other than their usual instrument of choice.    

The house trio - Alan Law, Paul Grainger and Abbie Finn - played a blinder (I'm Through with Love and Mo' Better Blues). What followed would become increasingly difficult to document thanks to the merry go round picking up speed with little sign of it slowing down. First to jump aboard, Harry Keeble (tenor sax), joined by Shivan Ruddick (trumpet), set the standard with two gems - A Train and You Stepped Out of a Dream. From here on in they came from all sides - Ian Drever booming Ol' Blue Eyes, John Rowland (tenor sax), Miriam McCormick, accompanied by Black Swan newbie James Palmer (trumpet), singing Love Me or Leave Me, Johannes Dalhuitsen taming his serpentine bass clarinet, vocalist Kate O'Niell giving it some, the list goes on. 

The list became somewhat confusing...Harry Keeble, piano (!), bassist Alec Shipsey playing drums (!), jam session MC Paul Grainger playing drums (!). A rub of the eyes, yep, Shipsey and Grainger as drummers, HK the piano man. Vocalist Lily impressed singing Jobim in Portuguese, late off the bench, Showtime (David Gray) and Esther Coombes. When EC is called up you know it's almost the witching hour. MC Grainger (back on bass) assembled all the horns (those left standing) for the traditional eyeballs-out finale.

The next Black Swan jam session is set for Tuesday 20 February featuring the house trio - Ben Phillips (piano), Mr P. Grainger (bass), Mark Robertson (drums) and, no doubt, countless sitters-in. It's a half past seven start, arrive early or you might not get a seat! Russell  

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