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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Saturday, November 09, 2024

Pensacola Boulevard @ Dorman's Jazz Club, Middlesbrough - Nov. 7

Django Zazou (trombone/accordion/vocals); Donna Hewitt (clarinet/tenor sax); Josh Bentham (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums); Vicky Jackson (vocals).

This recently formed band of familiar local musicians played together for the first time as this month's guest band and provided the audience with a night of fine entertaining jazz mainly from the 1920s to the 1940s era.

The lively T'Aint No Sin sung by Django set the style for the night with solos from
Josh, tonight on trumpet as opposed to his normal tenor or alto sax, Donna on clarinet and Graham on keys. 

Vicky was then called upon to sing I'm Beginning to See the Light. It included a nice tenor sax solo from Donna. Georgia White's Was I Drunk?, with it's nice slow intro followed, then a swinging blues with fine drum work from Mark and bass from Ron driving it along. Vicky showed how versatile a singer she is with Goody Goody, it had the band really swinging with trombone from Django and fine honky tonk piano from Graham.

The mood was then changed with Donna switching to clarinet and backed by piano, bass and drums played a moving version of Acker Bilk's Stranger On The Shore.
Staying in a melancholy mood, Vicky then sang the classic Georgia on my Mind with solos from trombone and piano.

The tempo was raised by Django singing Irving Berlin's When the Midnight Choo Choo Leaves for Alabam followed by an interesting version of Minor Swing that included excellent trumpet work from Josh and accordion from Django.

Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps and He's a Tramp, - two Peggy Lee style numbers  sung by Vicky - showed how tight an ensemble they were, producing a full band sound and bringing the first set to a close.

The second set began with Virginia Liston's Right Key, Wrong Keyhole sung by Django and included a nice muted trumpet solo from Josh.

Josh and Django then stepped aside to allow Donna to show her clarinet skills on Sidney Bechet's Petite Fleur with nice piano from Graham and fine drum and bass backing from Mark and Ron. 

Cole Porter's Let's Fall In Love was sung as a duet by Vicky and Django with solos all round.

An old up tempo Pasadena Roof Orchestra style Voodoo Blues was followed by Django singing the amusing and well known King of the Swingers with muted trumpet and clarinet solos.

After Vicky sang All That Jazz, Route 66 was declared the final number with Vicky again singing, with tenor sax, trumpet, organ, and trombone solos making for a great finish.

However an encore was demanded from the audience so Bessie Smith's Gimme a Pigfoot finally brought the night to a close.

This was a different, but certainly entertaining, night of well played jazz that went down well with the audience.

Thanks as usual go to the staff of Dorman's Club for their help and support with the night. Ron Hampton

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