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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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

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: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
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.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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, February 09, 2025

Press release: TONIGHT! Jazz.Coop at The Globe and Jazz North East present …

Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Gelder

Ben van Gelder (alto sax); Deschanel Gordon (piano); Flo Moore (bass); Rod Oughton (drums)

Tomorrow’s New Quartet is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most exciting jazz bands emerging from the British scene. Taking inspiration from Chick Corea’s ‘Return To Forever’ and Keith Jarrett’s ‘European Quartet’, Tomorrow’s New Quartet has been thrilling audiences all over the country with its engaging brand of modern jazz.

Preview: Wynton Marsalis - BBC4 (Sunday)

On BBC4 at twenty minutes to midnight - don't nod off! - it's Wynton Marsalis Plays Blue Note: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Recorded at Harrogate's Royal Hall in 2014 and first broadcast in May 2015, Wynton Marsalis and the magnificent JLCO salute the Blue Note record label and its many star stablemates in what was then (in 2014) its 75th anniversary year. Russell     

Saturday, February 08, 2025

Jazz Time Aycliffe Radio - Sundays 6.30-8.00pm (repeated Tuesdays 8.00-9.30pm)

https://www.ayclifferadio.co.uk/listen

Playlist 09/02/25 (repeated Tuesday 11/02/25)

Requests from the Alan Barnes gig:  Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Alan Barnes & Dave Newton, Art Pepper, Tubby Hayes Orchestra, Martin Taylor, Glenn Miller & His Orchestra, Gene Harris, Monty Alexander.

New release: Michael Buckley.

Request: Serge Chaloff.

USA Black History Month:

Valentine's Day Preview: Jazz Messengers.

Aycliffe Radio is available on DAB in County Durham & the Darlington Area. 

 

Preview: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe - Thursday Feb. 13

Come and envision yourself with the one you adore at either end of a piece of spaghetti on Valentine’s Eve with the song He’s a Tramp. This is just one of the delights you can expect to hear at Indigo Jazz Voices on Thursday. Other songs to expect are: Miss Otis Regrets, The Thrill is Gone and My Foolish Heart.

The lovely individual vocal performers are: David Edgar, Jen Errington, Paul Close, Jenny Lingham and Carrie McCullock. They are accompanied by three marvellous musician, who you will know well by now: Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass) and Rob Walker (drums).
 
Performance starts upstairs at The Globe at 7.45pm
 
£5 cash on the door.
 
See you there! CMc

Friday, February 07, 2025

Album review: Simon Spillett Quartet - Up In Town (mister PC)

Simon Spillett (tenor sax); Rob Barron (piano); Alec Dankworth (bass); Pete Cater (drums)

A small group album by Simon Spillett is always welcome and Up In Town is no exception.

Recorded  live at Pizza Express last February it swings like so few bands do today - more's the pity. Post bop, hard bop, call it what  you will. Me, I call it Music and the capital M is intentional!

Spillett, being the undisputed authority on Tubby Hayes (LINK), not surprisingly opted for tunes composed by Tubbs or that were associated with him. However, these are no mere cover versions but numbers selected on merit and suitability for this hard driving quartet. The leader's technique, like that of his mentor, is awesome despite his never having actually seen Hayes live. Nevertheless, he listened and learned - the flame is in safe hands.

Ella on Sky Arts (tonite, Friday 7th)

This evening (Friday) Sky Arts serves up a double helping of Ella. At eight o'clock, Ella Fitzgerald: Live at Montreux features Ella at Montreux in 1969. The set list includes GASbook favourites plus other material from the time, for example Hey Jude and Sunshine of Your Love. Following at 9:30pm is Leslie Woodhead's 2020 documentary film Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things. Russell      

Album review: Brent Laidler, featuring Mark Buselli & Ned Boyd - Hidden Gems (BEL Records)

Brent Laidler (guitar); Mark Buselli (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ned Boyd (alto sax, flute); Jamie Newman (organ); Richard “Sleepy” Floyd (drums); Scott Pazara (bass on all tracks except Ballad for B and Without a Tres).

With Hidden Gems, Indiana-based guitarist, composer, arranger, jazz radio host, clinician, and all-around super-interesting gent, Brent Laidler and his outstanding crew of colleagues offers a unique 10-track musical mystery tour - of sorts. Submersing himself into a century of music drawn from fake books and other sources (while avoiding composing simple contrafacts), Laidler brilliantly reconstituted said music, composing terrific original melodic and harmonic material. It is an outstanding recording and fun attempting to recognize the original sources.

Rose Room @ The Globe, Newcastle - Feb. 6


Seonaid Aitken (violin, vocals); Conor Smith (guitar); Tam Gallagher (guitar, vocals); Jimmy Moon (double bass)

The Globe welcomed Seonaid Aitken and her Rose Room bandmates to play two sets of Hot Club-inspired numbers. Rose Room features the violin and vocals of Aitken (last heard by BSH at Georgia Cécile's November 2021 Queen's Hall, Edinburgh album launch concert) and the guitar of Conor Smith. 

Thursday, February 06, 2025

NUFC's secret weapon

I suppose you think that it was Isak, Gordon, Murphy and co that beat Arsenal at St. James' Park last night and it's true they did help but, what the Gunners didn't realise was that Newcastle had a secret weapon.

Johnny 'Blue Hat' Davis!

Although he'd played with Sam Fender* on the hallowed turf inside the stadium, last night he entertained the crowd outside. His presence and his music no doubt giving the fans a feel good factor which they in turn transmitted to the team.

Take a bow Mr Blue Hat - Player of the Match. Lance  

*Before joining Sam Fender's backing band the tenor sax player was a regular at the old Jazz Café jam sessions.

Lewis Watson Quartet @ King's Hall, Newcastle Uni. - Feb. 6

© Russell
Lewis Watson (tenor sax); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (bass); John Bradford (drums)

It's good that Lewis is back on the scene. After a period of time where his name was invariably pre-fixed with whatever became of? the ace tenor saxist is once again gigging and with a band worthy of a musician of his calibre. Truth is, all three are leaders in their own right making for an unbeatable combination.

The King's Hall was well-attended and the audience appreciative - how could they not be? The five originals by Lewis, unlike so many 'originals', were accessible and imaginative. 

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