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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

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Lewis Watson Quartet @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Latin jazz/top-rated dance bands.
Thu 06: Rose Room @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 06: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Helen Barber (vocals) & Alex Moon (piano).
Thu 06: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. Guests: Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Donna Hewitt (alto sax); Kevin Eland (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. The session is now monthly, first Thursday in the month.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Old Lowlight, Clifford’s Fort, North Shields NE30 1JE. 7:00pm. £15.00. + bf. www.oldlowlight.co.uk. SOLD OUT!
Fri 07: Stuart Turner Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Jazz, blues, Americana etc.
Fri 07: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 07: Rose Room @ Wylam Institute. 8:00pm. £19.67.
Fri 07: John Rowland Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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: 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.

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, September 18, 2024

An autumnal Black Swan jam session - Sept. 17

Joe Steels (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums, trumpet) + Harry Keeble (tenor sax, piano); Bailey Rudd (drums); Theo Nolan (piano); Paul Ruddick (alto sax); Shivan Ruddick (trumpet); Liam Oliver (guitar); Dan Potter (drums); John Weaver (trumpet); Steve Summers (tenor sax); Esther Coombes (tenor sax, alto sax, clarinet); Hugh ? (drums); Carrie McCullock (vocals); ? (vocals); Owen Jones (double bass); Jamie Watkins (double bass); Shayo (vocals); Kath Butcher (vocals); Haaroun Miller (alto sax, tenor sax); Joe ? (drums); Oscar Nolan (vocals); Edgar Bell (trumpet) 

The house trio playing Cole Porter's Everything I Love opened the show followed by Bird's My Little Suede Shoes, things were going well. The Black Swan was busy, noticeably so. An unusually early change of personnel saw drummer Abbie Finn stepping down, Bailey Rudd a more than able dep. Hmm...

Harry Keeble called Naima. Now, this was the business! Finn returned with trumpet in hand. What's going on? Sure enough, award-winning drummer-turned-trumpeter, Abbie Finn plucked up the courage to play The Lady is a Tramp. Well, what do you know?! Session leader Joe Steels took five and, with Theo Nolan sitting-in on piano, Keeble (tenor sax) and Finn (trumpet) played Vernon Duke's Autumn in New York. Well, well, well...

In between Strictly Smokin' Big Band engagements, Steve Summers (tenor sax) popped in for a blow.* The Ruddicks were in the house. Manhã de Carnaval the selection. Ruddick Snr the established name, Ruddick Jr (that's trumpeter Shivan) fast coming up on the rails. Impressive. And another trumpeter...John Weaver. A regular at the Tannery jam session, it was good to see John making the trip from Hexham. Dan Potter was around, he would soon be behind the traps, Jamie Watkins, known primarily as an electric bass player, got to grips with MC Paul Grainger's double bass, and alongside Esther Coombes (reeds) they blazed a trail on Mr PC

Owen Jones (double bass) joined the party, a prowling Haaroun Miller (alto sax, tenor sax) grabbed a piece of the action, ditto Edgar Bell (trumpet). Vocalists Carrie McCullock, Oscar Nolan and others punctuated the instrumental flow, in other words, a typical night at the Black Swan jam session. As is the tradition, all horns left standing assembled for the grand finale. Directed by P. Grainger, the horns blew and blew and blew...

The Strictly Smokin' Big Band with special guest Emma Smith will be at the Common Room (next door to the Lit & Phil) on Sunday 29 September (5:00pm). Book now: www.strictly-smokin.co.uk. Tickets are going fast! Russell

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Hugh Whitby, drums

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