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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17641 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 915 of them this year alone and, so far, 60 this month (Dec. 26).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington (National Trust), Cambo, Morpeth NE61 4AR. 12 noon & 2:00pm. Admission to site £19.00.
Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Archie Brown & Friends @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00-8:00pm. Free.

January 2025

Wed 01: ???

Thu 02: ???

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: John Gregory @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.

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

Sunday, September 29, 2024

Emma Smith w. Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ the Common Room, Newcastle - Sept. 29

© Russell/Patti
Emma Smith (vocals); Michael Lamb (MD, trumpet); Pete Tanton, Billy Bradshaw, Tom Rushton (trumpets); John Flood, Mark Ferris, Keiran Parnaby, Chris Kurgi-Smith (trombones); Steve Summers, Keith Robinson, Jamie Toms, Matt Forster, Sue Ferris (reeds); Graham Don (piano); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Dave McKeague (drums); Alice Grace (vocals)

We've had a run of great gigs over the last few weeks and tonight's concert, at the Common Room on the corner of Orchard St., ranks alongside the best of them as the capacity crowd would surely testify to.

On record, Emma Smith is fantastic, live she is double fantastic and with a swinging big band - well I guess I'll have to find a new thesaurus of superlatives!

She's that good...

A choice selection of standards: On the Sunny Side of the Street; Fascinating Rhythm; I Only Have Eyes For You; I'm Beginning to See the Light; It Had to be You; Ding Dong the Witch is Dead; One For my Baby; I Feel Like a Natural Woman and Honeysuckle Rose (encore).  Plus excellent originals in the form of: Get Out of my Life Woman; Monogamy Blues and Sit on my Knee and Tell me You Love me made for a varied programme that drew a well-deserved standing ovation.

Of course all this was driven along by the SSBB who, over the years, led by the indefatigable Michael Lamb, have backed so many top singers and instrumentalists that nothing, seemingly, fazes them - least of all Alice Grace, who does her own thing proving she's a star in her own right. Blue Moon; Just One of Those Things and Cherokee sounded good although the sound system didn't do her justice in the first set - or maybe it was related to where I was sitting way back. 

From a visual point of view, tiered seating would have helped. But hey that's nitpicking! This was a great concert with two top singers and a kickass big band packed with ace soloists within their ranks. Who could ask for anything more? I ask you, who... could ask for anything more?

Not me! Lance

2 comments :

Russell said...

Yet another SSBB triumph! Emma & Alice...wow!

Brian Shine said...

I cannot understand why Emma has not been invited to play up here in the past, Emma said she will be back in 2026, that is far to long, I will see if I can catch her in London, too marvellous for words

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