Total Pageviews

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

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

The Classic Jazz Party: Sunday evening @ the Village Hotel, North Tyneside - Nov. 3

A long and hugely enjoyable weekend was approaching its end. From Thursday evening's Welcome Concert, a film show, three afternoon sessions, three evening sessions (this Sunday evening session the third of them) and three late night jam sessions, the Village Hotel on North Tyneside reverberated to the sounds of the 'classic jazz' era. 

Musicianship of the highest order, packed houses hanging on every note, there isn't really anything quite like the Classic Jazz Party. A third and final Piano Professor half hour took on a slightly different look when pianist Andrew Oliver was joined by drummer Nicholas D. Ball. A terrific thirty minutes. An Evening in Town transported the full house to London's nightspots of a century ago. The capital's many resident bands of the time entertained revellers looking for a good time. Martin Wheatley (banjo, guitar) presented an overview of the music and the musicians making a living playing in the dance bands and jazz clubs a century ago. 

The Classic Jazz Party is truly international. Musicians and audience travel from all over the world to meet up here on North Tyneside. One of the CJP's virtuoso musicians had a somewhat less arduous journey than most, making the short trip up the A19 from County Durham, Emma Fisk. Leading a Grappelli/Reinhardt Hot Club set - Quintette du Hot Club de Village Hotel - violinist Fisk swung a la S. Grappelli, Curtis VolpFélix Hunot and Spats Langham taking it in turn to pay homage to Django. Très bon!

Harry Evans (string bass, tuba) led an all-star ensemble in the penultimate set of this year's CJP. Born to Swing - Lil Armstrong in the 1930s featured - who else? - Nicolle Rochelle. One of the hits of the weekend, Ms Rochelle was accompanied by CJP debutant pianist Ulf Johansson Werre and a supporting cast including Malo Mazurié (trumpet), Natalie Scharf (reeds) and Londoner, drummer Richard Pite. If you happen to be in Paris when N. Rochelle is in concert, don't hesitate, book a front row seat.

And so to the grand finale. In recent times the Big Band Battle has become something of a tradition. Seriously good jazz, friendly but competitive, smiling faces on stage and off, let's go! First up, Luis Russell! Led by the man from Davenport, Iowa, drummer Josh Duffee, the Russell outfit went for it. Chicagoan Andy Schumm (cornet), New Yorker Jo-Erik Kellso (trumpet), Charlie Halloran (trombone), Lars FrankLorenzo BaldassoNatalie Scharf (reeds), Ulf Johansson Werre (piano) and the French rhythm kings Félix Hunot (banjo, guitar) and Henry Lemaire (string bass) alongside J. Duffee, the gauntlet well and truly thrown down. Members of the Russell band taunted their rivals:  Hey, Tomasso, let's see what ya got?! 

Did British trumpet ace Rico Tomasso and co have what it takes?! Pugnacious Tomasso came out slugging. After all, this was Duke Ellington! The heavyweight outfit fought back, they weren't reeling on the ropes, they were Rockin'
 in RhythmMike DavisMalo Mazurié (trumpets), Alistair Allan and Graham Hughes the 'bones, Jean-François BonnelDavid HorniblowRichard Exall (reeds), heavyweights, indeed. The Crescent City's David Boeddinghaus (piano), the Brits Curtis Volp (banjo, guitar), Harry Evans (tuba, string bass) and Nicholas D. Ball (drums). And there to potentially deliver a knockout blow, singer extraordinaire Nicolle Rochelle

Who won? Who cares? Ellington? On points. All great fun. And so to the bar for the third and final late night jam session of the 2024 edition of the Classic Jazz Party. It promised to be an epic occasion.  

No comments :

Blog Archive