Jade Quartet
The month of March began with a bang. The 16th Great North
Big Band Jazz Festival staged at Park View Community Centre in Chester le
Street over three days (Mar 1-3) is one of the jazz world's great - yet little
known - success stories. Festival director Bill Watson has established the
competition event to such an extent that no fewer than thirty two big bands vied for a National Glass Centre-commissioned trophy. Friday evening
(Mar 1) was devoted to a concert performamce by Musicians Unlimited and a
specially assembled Festival Band. The competition proper began on
Saturday and from there on iit was a non-stop big band bonanza through to
Sunday evening. Senior bands (many of them university outfits), schools and
youth jazz orchestras - a feast for big band fans.
Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club's March concert (Mar 2,
lunchtime) promises to be a hot affair. Clarinetist Adrian Cox will be in town
to present his Profoundly Blue show in tribute to Edmond Hall. Cox will be
working with an A-list band; Joe Webb, piano, Simon Read, double bass, and
drummer Gethin Jones. Recommended.
Sunday 3 March at Sage Gateshead presents a dilemma - in
Sage One it's the hugely popular Postmodern Jukebox and in Sage Two Laura Jurd
introduces a multi bill including her own band Dinosaur and the Ligeti
Quartet.
The Jade Quartet featuring trumpeter Nick Malcolm stops off
at the Globe (Mar 7), one week later (Mar 14) its West Coast cool with the
accomplished Lickety Split, and seven days on (Mar 21) blues shouter Mo Scott
rocks up with her band which includes Mo's perfect foil, guitarist Gary
Dunn.
A new Wednesday afternoon venture at Newcastle Arts Centre
launches on March 13. 'Jazz Cafe Mezzanine' is a new, first floor performance
space which will present duos on a fortnightly basis. First up is vocalist
Julija Jacenaite working with guitarist Steve Glendinning. Two o'clock start,
free admission.
Hard bop comes to Darlington's Opus 4 Jazz Club in the shape
of Alter Ego (Mar 8), the Pasadena Roof Orchestra (with several familiar faces
in the line-up) will be in concert at the Customs House, South Shields (Mar 28)
and the Customs House Big Band itself heads to the Newcastle Jazz Co-op with
Ruth Lambert fronting the band on March 31.
The legendary River City Jazzmen called it a day some time
ago. Now, the name lives on with the formation of the River City Hot Four.
Three of the four musicians were members of the aforementioned New Orleans
outfit including trombonist Gordon 'Solly' Solomon (the man who, it is said,
gave Gordon Sumner his nickname during their time together in the Newcastle Big
Band...Mr Sumner aka Sting). Catch the quartet at the Beresford Arms near
Morpeth on Monday 4th.
Blaydon Jazz Club is fast approaching its 35th anniversary
and to kick-off the 2019 programme there is a triple bill fundraising gig on
Sunday 17th. Beginning at 7:00pm with the Early Bird Band (alumni include
Francis Tulip and Matt McKellar), the Alice Grace Quartet follows with the Noel
Dennis Quartet closing the evening. £10 on the door, do get along and show your
support.
Jazz Record Requests is to be broadcast live from Sage
Gateshead on Saturday 30. Alyn Shipton invites listeners to pop along, sit on
the concourse and marvel at the mechanics of a live on-air programme. Jo Harrop
and Paul Edis will perform live alongside Shipton, it all starts at 4:00pm, no
ticket required.
Finally, if you can get to just one gig this month, then
this is the one...the Mick Shoulder Quintet at Bishop Auckland Town Hall, March
15 (1:00pm). A Jazz Messengers-plus outfit, on tenor sax is the rarely heard
Lewis Watson. Pull a sicky, bunk off school, one word describes this
gig...'unmissable'.
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