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Bebop Spoken There

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Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Friday, March 05, 2010

SAGE GATESHEAD INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL PREVIEW - SCOTTISH NATIONAL JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Over the years Scotland has produced more than its fair share of outstanding jazz musicians and this concert features the cream of the current crop in a fascinating big band excursion under the direction of Tommy Smith.
Tommy, himself a sax player of international renown, leads a big band that features such players as Ryan Quigley, Paul Towndrow, Alwyn Cosker and Martin Kershaw.
Kershaw I know only by reputation so this will be a journey of discovery for me but Quigley, Towndrow and Cosker are familiar to many in the North-east via their appearances at the Corner House and also last year's Scarborough Jazz Festival.
Quigley is an amazing trumpet player capable of soaring into the upper register without loss of his full sound - can't wait to hear him again. Towndrow has an incredible alto technique that enables him to unleash long florid solos bursting through the seams of creativity. Cosker demonstrated his awesome drum technique with his trio at the Corner House as recently as last month. Frankly, the room was too small for his powerhouse drumming - there will be no such constriction in Hall One of the Sage. His is perhaps the most demanding role - that of the drummer in a tribute to Buddy Rich regarded by many drummers as the all-time greatest!
The Rich tribute will be the climax to, not just a great concert, but to what promises to be the Sage's best festival so far.
The first set of the concert is unusual to say the least - Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin's most well-known classical piece has always been regarded as a hybrid composition. Too jazzy for the classical audience and not jazzy enough for the jazz audience.
However, with Brian Kellock (remember his performance with Sheila Jordan at last year's festival or his duo concert with Leanne Carroll?) sitting on the piano stool that I'm sure will change. This re-working by Tommy Smith could quite conceivably move it away from its Paul Whiteman quasi-jazz image into a work that stands alongside extended pieces such as Ellington's Tone Parallel to Harlem. We look forward to finding out.
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: Rhapsody in Blue and a tribute to Buddy Rich, Sunday March 28, Hall One. £19.50.
Lance.
PS: See sidebar for other Sage Festival previews.

1 comment :

Hil said...

Approx 22 yrs ago Tommy Smith approached Mike (Gilby) and asked him to do a couple of Ellington big band arrangements for a concert at the E'burgh Jazz Festival.
Mike really enjoyed arranging Ellington tunes, we took a little Zoe(then about 7yrs old)along with us to hear the concert. I believe it was during the afternoon?
No wonder the poor wee girl got into jazz...I think it was the only music she heard for years :o)

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