Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 2026)

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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

From This Moment On

September.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Tue 22: ???

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 24: Arun Ghosh @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £21.05. (£22.00. on the door). A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 24: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 25: Mark Williams Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Get the Blessing + Dilettante @ The Cluny (Cluny 2), Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00. + bf. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 25: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 26: Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter: Play Mary Lou Williams @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 26: John Pope Quintet + Urvashi @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.40. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Sun 27: Salty Dog @ The Cluny. 12:30pm (doors). Free (donations).
Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Zach Sewell-Lara Hopper Quintet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. Ruth Lambert (vocals); Giles Strong (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Sun 27: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Alex Hitchcock Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

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
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1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Hugh Whitby, drums

Wednesday, September 18, 2024 11:34:00 am

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