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Bebop Spoken There

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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

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Claude Werner Quartet - Splinter @ The Bridge

Claude Werner (ten), Mark Williams (gtr), Laurence Blackadder (bs), David Carnegie (dms). This is what it's all about! Quite a night – arguably the best yet music-wise and indisputably the best yet crowd-wise in the Sunday night Splinter @ The Bridge Sessions. So crowded was it that some tables had to be removed to allow more chairs to be placed. In fairness it must be said that the audience was augmented by a contingent of maybe 20 from the Västra Götalands Ungdomssymfoniker – a Swedish youth orchestra who, earlier, had given a concert at The Sage – nevertheless, it all added to the ambiance and the Scandanavians certainly enjoyed it going by their response and the ensuing CD sales. The Swedish contingent made it a truly international affair as, on stage, we had a Chilean saxophonist, an Irish guitarist, a Barbadian drummer and a Cumbrian bass player. Roll over Esperanto – Music is the universal language. In a band of such quality it is impossible to single out one supreme moment – there were just too many. However, when Laurence played his soulful bass introduction to Daydreaming the whole room knew they were in for something special. Laurence has a sound on bass that is all his own. It's pizzicato with a legato feel to it if that makes sense. On guitar, Mark, who I suspect is one of identical triplets so many gigs does he enhance, once again showed why he is in such demand whilst David displayed yet another side to his fine technique – humour - in a burst of exchanges with Claude that brought roars of approval. This really was phenomenal as they came in swinging, trading phrase, counterphrase and paraphrase - two fighters slinging punches and going for it in the last round of a title bout. Claude encompasses the whole gamut of modern tenor playing from early Coltrane to 'Sheets of Sound Trane' with a bit of Rollins thrown in to the mix - not to mention his own highly individual approach. He also dabbled sparingly with an effects board which produced some interesting delays and reverbs and other electronic alchemy. The keyword here is 'sparingly'. All of the pieces were originals by Claude and many are on his CD Thoughts and Recollections which I'm pleased to say appeared to be selling well tonight.
Another superb evening at the Bridge Hotel. In March it's: 7th. ACV, 14th. Alter Ego, 21st. Safe Sextet and 28th. Splinter roll on...
Photos of this and previous gigs. Lance.

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Yes, it was an excellent night - judging by the photos I was sitting almost right behind you. Really fine playing from everyone - I don't believe that you could have heard better anywhere else in the world.

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