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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18001 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 422 of them this year alone and, so far, 100 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Mon 02: Swing Manouche @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 02: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Phillips, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.
Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rhythm & blues etc. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 06: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 07: Midnite Follies Orchestra @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. All-star line-up.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Jazz Blues. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 07: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 07: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Haydon Bridge Festival, Low Hall Park, Haydon Bridge. 4:00-6:00pm.
Sat 07: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Ella Hohnen Ford @ Alfie & Fin’s, Tynemouth. 7:00pm. £15.00.
Sat 07: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: SH#RP collective w. Lindsay Hannon @ The Holy Name Parish Hall, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £15.00.
Sat 07: Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble @ Colbalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £13.28. - £17.51.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm.
Sat 07: Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 07: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:00pm. Free.

Sun 08: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Whitehouse St., Middlesbrough. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Guest Neil Brodie (trumpet) joins the quintet for the first in a new monthly residency.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Lady Nade @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 3:00pm (2:00pm doors). £21.50. ‘Nina Simone’.
Sun 08: John Rowland Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 08: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 08: Jeff Hewer Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

EP Review: Circus FM

(Review by Lance).
Four tracks - The Day's Too Dark; Man Down; Déjà Blue; It's All Good. The latter title perfectly sums up this EP. In fact, the term good undervalues it, it is so much more!
Remember how knocked out we all were upon first hearing Madeleine Peyroux? Well this has that same effect 'cept the songs are better and the accompaniment jazzier and, dare I say it? but Scots lassie Flora Munro has a greater emotive range across the folksy/jazzy spectrum. The notes describe her as "Having a storytelling voice" and I'll go along with that.
Roger Niven wrote words, composed music, played guitar and, on Man Down, threw some banjo and ukulele into the mix - he is forgiven.
Walker does the necessary on drums as well as helping with the producing, engineering and mixing of the disk. There's more on this 16 minute EP than on many an hour long CD.
It's All Good is also available as a single.
Lance.
Flora Munro (vcl); Roger Niven (gtr/bjo/uke/words/music); Graham Walker (dms) - All tracks.
+ Gary Plumley (sax); Brad Lang (bs)Paul Miller (keys/org)Davie Walker (acc); John "Guinness" Gordon (bs)Dick Levens (Fender bass); Derek Nash (saxes/horn arrangements); Winston Rollins (tmb)Chris Storr (tpt)

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