A rare chance to experience the world class acoustics of Hall Two in an intimate in the round setting with Scandinavian/British jazz trio Phronesis.

‘Life to Everything’ is the title of Phronesis’ forthcoming album, recorded live at last year’s EFG London Jazz Festival, and they kick off a national tour this month to support it, including a date at Sage Gateshead on 27 May.

This will be a unique opportunity to experience this exciting, fast rising trio up close and personal, as we will be presenting this performance in the round. Get a unique perspective on Hall Two’s intimate surroundings with a 360º view of the band.

Jazz Café Jam - May 6.

Peter Gilligan (pictured top left) (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums) + Ian Forbes (drums); Ann Alex, Katherine Lowden (pictured top right), Kath Jobes (vocals).

(Review by Lance/Photos courtesy of Mike Tilley).

A jam session sans horns is a rare phenomenon! Tonight, the only instrumentalist was the Grand Old Man of North East Jazz Ian Forbes who once again displayed his consummate percussive artistry. Jeff Armstrong too impressed à la batterie* albeit on a scaled down kit minus floor tom and small tom.

Preview: Snarky Puppy to storm Sage Gateshead

The jazz fusion era of the 1970s is experiencing something of a critical reappraisal, if not renaissance, and Sage Gateshead is set to welcome band-of-the-moment Snarky Puppy. On Sunday evening (May 11) the band led by bassist Michael League will hit the stage in Hall Two. Formed in 2004 (‘the band was all college jazz kids’ says League), the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based outfit calls on a roster of seventy five musicians and up to twenty seven of them have been known to take the stage! Over the years gospel and r & b influences have become part of the band’s sound in a 200+ gigs a year touring schedule. Expect to hear music referencing Tower of Power, Weather Report, Frank Zappa, Americana, Latin rhythms and pop. The GRAMMY Award-winners could have three guitarists on stage, perhaps three keyboards players, vocalists aplenty (Lalah Hathaway, daughter of Donny, could be in town). Jazz, funk, soul, League insists melody is key. Pat Metheny is a fan. Will Snarky Puppy’s Gateshead gig become that of folklore? Hall Two, Sage, Sunday, is the place to be to find out!
Russell.

Jazz in the Afternoon @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. May 5

Derek Fleck (clarinet & tenor saxophone), Mick Hill (trumpet & vocals), Roy Gibson (keyboards), Bill Colledge (bass) & Fred Thompson (drums) + Barry Soulsby (clarinet), Doris Fenn (banjo), John Broddle (vocals) & Theresa Armstrong (vocals)

(Review by Russell).

Holiday Monday, decent weather, a (part) change in the old guard. Regulars Chester, Hallam & Rillands were excused duties to meet up with Don Fairley for a nice little earner at a Close House golf day. Derek Fleck - famous for fifteen seconds thanks to Jazz Record Requests - held the fort, though he too had been up Hadrian’s Wall country earlier in the day, returning to base in time to MC affairs.

Tobin on Tour

Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2014-shortlisted singer Christine Tobin returns to Tyneside in September when she presents her A Thousand Kisses Deep salute to Leonard Cohen at Sage Gateshead in the company of Phil Robson (guitar), Dave Whitford (bass), Huw Warren (piano and accordion) and Adriano Adewale (percussion).

Before that, however, Tobin will be passing through the area, travelling between a gig at the Lescar in Sheffield on May 21 and the opening gig of her first-ever Scottish tour in Aberdeen the following evening. The Scottish tour came as a direct result of Tobin winning a Herald Angel, one of the much coveted awards presented by Glasgow-based newspaper The Herald during the Edinburgh Festival every August for her performance of A Thousand Kisses Deep on the Festival Fringe.

Greg Spero May Dates.

Friday May 9^th – The Continental, Preston 8.00pm tickets £8 see

www.newcontinental.net

Saturday May 10^th – afternoon, The Fuse, Prudhoemusic masterclass from the band with students from the Fuse Arts Centre and Core Music.

Saturday May 10^th - Dacre Hall, Lanercost 7.30pm tickets £10 from Brampton Post Office or from David Gosling on 016977 41829

Sunday May 11^th – Splinter @ the Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne admission £6, more info  www.splinterjazz.co.uk

Firebird Quartet @ The Bridge. May 4

Ian Chalk (trumpet); Martin Longhawn (piano); John Marley (bass); Tim Carter (drums).

(Review by Lance/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew).

This was a stormer! Four York based musicians at the top of their game (and who's to say they won't get even better still - Longhawn and Carter are still just in their mid-twenties) delighted Sunday's Splinter audience with a program of originals and standards performed with much originality. Nature Boy done over a Cuban rhythm, Sonny Rollins' Blue Seven given an easy relaxed swing feel. Chalk has that beautiful fat sound personified by such as Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown and Freddy Hubbard. Tone wasn't sacrificed for technique nor vice versa - the perfect balance. On the Rollins piece the trumpet player used Chris Calver's pint glass for a growl chorus. Chris, who was sitting at the front table nearest the stage beamed with delight. The glass, I hasten to add, was empty!

Jeff Barnhart @ Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club May 3.

Jeff Barnhart (piano), Anne Barnhart (flute & vocals), John Hallam (ten/bar sax & clarinet), Nick Ward (drums)

(Review / photo by Ray)

Rather than stay at home & fret away our day worrying about the fate of the local football teams, we packed up our troubles & headed south for our monthly "jazz fix" with our friends at St Augustine's.

Entertainment was never likely to be in short supply with Mr Barnhart in town ....his musical knowledge & anecdotes together with his rather zany humour will always brighten your day - then there's that scintillating "stride" style which has you yearning for more...

CD Reviews The Virtuoso Jazz Trio Summer & Autumn

George MacDonald (clarinet), James Birkett (guitar) & Peter Stuart (double bass).

(Review by Russell).

Concerts by the Virtuoso Jazz Trio are few and far between so it is a delight to have these 2006 performances made available on two CDs. The recordings - Summer and Autumn - were made on tour, the tunes a selection from the Great American Songbook. 

PG Allstars @ Salsa, May 3

Paul Gowland (ten/alt), Pete Gilligan (pno), Ray Truscott (bs), Steve Doyle (dms)

(Review/photo by Dave Parker)

This was mainstream jazz of the highest quality – as good as anything you might hear in a top London club, but this was Saturday night in a small bar on Westgate Road and free admission.  Geordie jazz lovers are lucky.