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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: 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

Friday, August 23, 2024

Brilliant Brush-Work! The Paul Edis Trio @ The Gala, Durham – August 23

© Malcolm Sinclair
Paul Edis (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums)

This first concert in the Gala’s Tenth Anniversary Series (gosh, is it really that long?) began, appropriately, with Paul paying tribute again to the late Brian Ebbatson. His words (which have appeared earlier in these pages) were also given prominence in the programme notes. Brian was also referenced in the introduction to the sixth tune on the set-list: It Is What It Is and there was a collection after the show for Brian’s nominated charities: Macmillan Nurses and Saint Cuthbert’s Hospice. The gig, I’d have to say, was a joyous celebration which was all, like that sixth tune, very much “for Brian”.

© Malcolm Sinclair
Whiskers opened the show and immediately put Russ Morgan to the fore. All three of these musicians are top performers but for me, today, his drumming stood out! Apart from giving it some stick in a solo on the harum-scarum bus-ride entitled Madeira, I only clocked him using sticks for a few seconds here and there in the whole of the show. Everything else was “whiskers” which, thanks to some newly acquired hearing aids, I could actually hear clearly for the first time in years. In name-checking Russ at the end of the tune Paul referenced Ed Thigpen – praise indeed!

After the ups and downs of Snakes and Ladders we had The Start of the Journey written in New York about the mix of anxiety and excitement felt before a big challenge. I’d not heard this tune before (it’s not been recorded yet) and I liked it very much. I could imagine it as part of a film score – a bit like the Gershwin + NY skyline at the start of Woody Allen’s Manhattan. Paul confessed at the end of the tune that he’d forgotten to give Russ Morgan the music for it: I don’t think anyone in the audience would have guessed that, so flawless was the performance!

Start Over was cheerily optimistic: Andy Champion’s bass solo sounded positively chirpy – one of several excellent solos on the day. Another new tune to me – a “world premiere” apparently – called Good Times was next. Its composer described it as “gospelly” – it certainly was uplifting with infectious rhythms and oodles of my favourite piano style which led, somewhat surprisingly, into a few minutes of audience participation. We were invited to clap on alternate beats and then sing no fewer than three different parts with sections of the audience responsible for each! It could have been chaos but oh, no it wasn’t – it worked, people all joined in and to me, the harmony sounded good (and my hearing aids do not lie!). Paul’s years of doing panto have borne strange fruit!

Given that all of today’s tunes were Edis originals: the variety of styles and moods was indeed impressive.

The show over-ran by a few minutes to accommodate the aptly named The End – a bluesy number which again was new to me. I liked this one, too! Paul prefaced this number by reassuring the audience that anyone who had to leave (to catch a bus, or whatever) could do so. No one moved!

More gigs are planned through to January 2025. Book early as the tickets fly off the shelf! Jerry

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