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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

17755 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 76 of them this year alone and, so far, 1 this month (Feb.1).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 08: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’.
Sat 08: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra event. All welcome.

Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

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

Tuesday, March 05, 2024

GNBBJF - Saturday March 2 (Open Section)

The Great North Big Band Jazz Festival has come of age. First staged in Sunderland, the event would later migrate to Park View Community Centre in Chester-le-Street. This year's edition of the annual big band extravaganza - the twenty first! - welcomed bands old and new. No fewer than eleven bands would compete in Saturday's open section (ie senior bands). Coaches, cars and those hopping off buses (no trains due to engineering works) turned off Front Street, making a beeline for Park View. 

As big band fans filed into the hall, Bill Watson's stage crew scurried back and forth making final preparations minutes before the first of the day's bands took to the stage. Late morning, the first of this year's competition bands emerged from the wings, ready to take the fight to the opposition. Durham Alumni Big Band (MD, Shaune Eland) regularly takes home silverware, would 2024 see the band in the winner's circle once again? Bob Mintzer's Good News opened the DABB's programme, George Cables' Camel Rise (arr. Matt Roberts) featured superb flugelhorn by Jonny Dunn and commanding tenor from Dan Johnson, followed by Ian Robinson's arrangement of Astor Piazzolla's Libertango, the set concluding with Don Ellis' Final Analysis (Dunn, trumpet, Stephen Fletcher, drums, the featured soloists). An excellent set, could this be the Alumni's year?

Bay Big Band (MD, Adrian Boardman) made its GNBBJF debut here in Chester-le- Street. Well, not quite, more a change of name. Lancaster Community Music Centre Big Band is now known as the Bay Big Band with Adrian Boardman remaining at the helm. Myles Collins' Nou's Blues opened the programme, Hannah Bayliss, tenor sax, the featured soloist. Killing Me Softly came as a surprise choice, Laura Tattersall the vocalist. Ernie Wilkins' We and Us closed an interesting set. 

Darlington Big Band (MD, Richie Emmerson) is an active outfit, rehearsing on a weekly basis down the road at Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club. It's hard to believe it's taken until the GNBBJF's 21st anniversary year for Richie Emmerson's cracking big band to make its bow here in Chester-le-Street. Classic big band charts - Take the A TrainI Remember CliffordLove for Sale and Richard Rodgers' suite Slaughter on Tenth Avenue - were the order of the day. A fine big band (ensemble and soloists) with a community feel about it, in an off-mic comment at the end of I Remember Clifford, MD Emmerson remarked on Bill Watson's solo feature: Well done, Bill.

Bold Big Band (MD, Brian Wicks) jumped the queue, swapping places in the schedule with the Tyne Valley Big Band. The Newcastle based band, comprising students and graduates, is 'Bold' by name and 'Bold' in approach. Saxophonist Pippa Morgan's solo on Beulah Witch drew applause, not least from the band's travelling support. Just One of Those Things heard Conor Polley singing and scatting and guitarist Ben Davies, the latter a regular participant at Newcastle Arts Centre's bi-monthly jam session. Minuano (Six Eight), that's the Metheny-Mays composition, closed the set with some top-notch trumpet playing by Sam Armstrong. A good set, what would the adjudicators make of it? 

Tyne Valley Big Band (MD, Dave Hignett) arrived in numbers. In excess of twenty musicians took to the stage, a genuine 'community band'. Endlessly enthusiastic, Dave Hignett encouraged his charges, leading the applause, clearly delighted to be on stage once again at Park View Community Centre. The World We Knew featured the TVBB's effervescent vocalist Barbara Hignett, the set as a whole highlighted the talents of Niall Armstrong, reeds, and Tom Cantwell, guitar. Two guests joined the band...guess who? Off duty from Sam Fender's band, Johnny 'Blue Hat' Davis (tenor sax) and Mark Webb (trumpet) stepped up, out front, to blow on Eddie Harris' Cold Duck Time. Davis + Webb + TVBB...the connection? Davis and Webb cut their musical teeth in the Northumberland County Youth Jazz Orchestra and Jambone. The value of music education! 

Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra (MD, Amogha Ramasharan) supports the GNBBJF year in, year out. The current band (2023-24) brought along a regulation pad - Count BubbaI've Got the World on a String and Purple Porpoise Parkway - and one or two top flight soloists. Count Bubba rattled along, Olly Styles (tenor sax) nailing his solo. Excellent! A new name/new face, vocalist Eddie Bond sang I've Got the World On a String - interesting left of centre phrasing, although slightly down in the mix, let's here Mr Bond (Eddie Bond) at a Black Swan jam session. 

Leeds University Union Big Band opened without any credited or discernible musical director, the ensemble taking care of business. Bob Florence, Michel Camilo and Michael League (Snarky Puppy) the composers of choice, LUUBB made a big impression across the board (drummer Bruce Hygate, rhythm section and ensemble). 

The Managers Big Band (MD, Ben Shepherd) returned to Chester-le-Street looking to make it six in a row. In recent times the Bolton based band has carried all before it without the emergence of a serious challenger. At first glance a programme comprising Nice 'n' JuicyEmilyJust Squeeze Me and Hank Levy's Whiplash appeared to be a more restrained selection compared to previous years. From the off, MD Ben Shepherd put out the A-Team soloists: Rick Halliwell (alto sax), on tenor sax, the award-winning Sam Lightwing (heard recently at the Railway in Stockport) and ace 'bone man, the award-winning Jack Looman. Closing the set, Whiplash put the Managers in pole position. 

Ribble Valley Big Band (MD, Paul J Rigby) hit the ground running with Charles Mingus' Pedal Point Blues, the two trombones of Jack Yerkess and Nathan Barnes impressing alongside Rick Halliwell, baritone sax (Halliwell on loan from the Managers Big Band). Paul Frogatt's alto sax playing on Killer Joe hit the spot, the Ribble Valley's set was shaping up nicely. The RVBB could be in the frame.                                                    

Edinburgh University Jazz Orchestra 
(MD, Martina Petrova) made the long trip south hoping to bag another award (2023, adjudicators' award - vocal ensemble). Chick Corea's Armando's Rhumba, Louis Prima's Sing Sing Sing and Fireshaker (Chris Braymen/Maynard Ferguson) were the selections, would the band impress? it did, not least the vocal trio (a la Andrews Sisters) - Ailish BarryEmily Whiting and Leah Gunn singing Sing Sing Sing. The audience loved it, what about the adjudicators?

It had been a full day of competitive big band action with one remaining band to close it out. Leeds Conservatoire Student Union Big Band (MDs, Poppy Hughes & Elliot Scribot-Carter) arrived with Gordon Goodwin and a Bob Curnow arrangement of Riverdance in its locker. LCSUBB deftly negotiated every twist and turn of Goodwin's Count Bubba's Revenge, however, the vocal trio of Umer SairPhoebe Bedford and Amelie Payne-Heneghan singing Snake Eater more than impressed the crowded hall. 

Late afternoon it was standing room only and for good reason...the results were imminent. Adjudicators Marcus Brown and Mick Donnelly handed GNBBJF festival director Bill Watson a sheaf of paper and the results were read out to much whooping and hollering... Russell
    
Adjudicators' award: Bruce Highgate, drums (Leeds University Union Big Band)

Adjudicators' award: Ben Davies, guitar (Bold Big Band)

Adjudicators' award: Vocal ensemble (Edinburgh University Jazz Orchestra)

Best Programme: Leeds Conservatoire Student Union Big Band

Best Section: Whole of the brass section, Durham Alumni Big Band

Best Soloist: Jack Looman, trombone, solo on Emily (The Managers Big Band)

Best Band: The Managers Big Band 

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