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Bebop Spoken There

“With a lot of young musicians, they get to a certain point and you can’t tell them anything.” - Marcus Roberts (Jazz Times May 2009).
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"I hear great new musicians all over the world. There has been a globalization of jazz. You can't look just to the U.S. for jazz anymore" - Randy Brecker ( Downbeat January 2010)
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TODAY THURSDAY MAY 23.

LUCIEN BAN & MAT MANERI - Recital Room, Newcastle Uni, Armstrong Building, Queen Victoria Rd., Newcastle NE1 7RU. 0191 2228463. 8pm. £10/£8/£5.
A JNE On The Outside presentation.
ALX and JULIJA - Bar Loco, 22 Leazes Park Rd., Newcastle NE1 4GG. 0191 2325871. 8:30pm.
A fusion of jazz, swing, Latin and funk.
BUDTONES - Hexham Jazz Club, Exchange CafĂ©, Queen's Hall, Hexham. 8pm. £3.
Bebop, Blues and Ballads -what more do you want? Worth the trip.
VIEUX CARRE JAZZMEN - The Mill Stone, Haddricks Mill Rd., South Gosforth, NE3 1QL. 1:00pm. 0191 2853429. FREE.
New Orleans in nice pub with 4 real ales, good food and a banjo!
JAMES HARRISON/DANNY ALLAN -Hoochie Coochie, 54 Pilgrim St., Newcastle NE1 6SF. 8:00pm.No wheelchair access.
Great young pianist who ticks all the boxes with an exciting young band and a Monster sax player!
THE TEES HOT CLUB - Dormans, Oxford Rd., Linthorpe, Middlesborough, TS5 5DT. 01642 823813
Gypsy jazz with guests.
MAINE STREET JAZZMEN - Marquis of Granby, Streetgate, Sunniside, NE16 5ES (on A692) 0191 4880954. Free. 8:45pm.
Long established Dixieland band.
BUSKER'S NIGHT w. RUTH LAMBERT (not jazz) - Bell and Bucket, North Shields. 9pm. Free.
Fun night with a cast of trillions.
JED GRIMES' ACOUSTIC ROOM - Low Lights Tavern, Brewhouse Bank, North Shields, NE30 1LL. 9PM. £4.50. 0191 2576038.
Folksy.
JACK HAMILTON (solo keyboard plus vocalist) - La Bodega Tapas bar, 84 Newgate St., Morpeth, NE61 1BU. 01670 516055.
Sophisticated sounds and vocals.

Friday, February 11, 2011

A History of Jazz in Newcastle by John Pearce.

Alan Rudd sent me this article by the late John Pearce detailing Jazz in Newcastle up to about 1962. It's from The Journal Weekend Magazine.
A History of Jazz in Newcastle by John Pearce. 
Newcastle in the flapper era was like any other large city. The cloche hat, the Oxford bags, the Charleston, were rampant, and all were symptoms of a country attempting to throw off the mantle of wartime austerity and gloom. When the Original Dixieland Jazz Band appeared in London in 1921, they were a symbol of the Gay Twenties. The O.D.J.B. travelled North for a month's stay at the Oxford Galleries, and so jazz came to Newcastle. The year 1934 is important in New­castle's jazz history. Dick Kelly and a friend, students at King's College, per­suaded the management of the Oxford Galleries to let them hire a room. Thus was founded the Newcastle Rhythm Club, official number 57. After the war, the N.R.C. took up the reins again in premises in Ridley Place. The N.R.C. had several meeting places., the Bridge End Hotel; the Roma Cafe, in the Bigg Market (1949), where Stan Wilde and his Wildcats were resident; and the Crow's Nest Hotel (1952). Stan Wilde's band split up, and the Panama Jazzmen were formed by pianist Norman Rudd. He recruited Stan Martin (clarinet) and Ronnie MacLean (trombone) from the Wildcats, and added Joe McMullen (cornet) and Teddy Hutchinson (drums). At the same time, Hughie Aitchison formed his Benecia Jazz Band, which later became the Cellarmen. Early 1954 saw the opening of two new jazz clubs, the Alexandra, in Heaton, with the Clem Avery Jazzmen in residence, and the Pelican Club, in the News Theatre. In 1954, the N.R.C. moved first into King's Restaurant, in Northumberland Street, then to the Mahogany Hall, in the Royal Arcade. where it also changed its name to the Newcastle Jazz Club. The featured bands were the Panama, the Cellarmen, and the Clem Avery Jazzmen. When Clem left the band, it was taken over by the banjoist John Young, who, at the same time, assumed the name "Mighty Joe." It was about this time that King's College made its mark on the Newcastle jazz scene. In 1955, some good modern jazz was being played by a college group which included Don Armstrong (clarinet and tenor) and the Carr brothers, Mike and Ian (of whom more later). The next year saw the formation of the Quaysiders by clarinetist Peter Smailes; in 1957, the College Kings were launched by P e t e r McLoughlin (clarinet) and in 1958, Bill Croft formed his Blue Star Jazzmen. Later, the Wednesday night was opened by the Clem Avery Jazzmen, and eventually a third night, Thursday, was taken up by the College Kings. The College Kings evolved into the Commodore Jazzmen, led by myself (trumpet), with John Crone at the piano. In early 1955, banjoist Peter Deuchar formed the Vieux Carre Jazzmen, with Peter Gascoigne (trumpet), John Saxelby (clarinet), and Jim Stewart (drums). They were resident at the Club Martinique, also in the Royal Arcade. After about 18 months, the club moved to premises in St. James Street, and eventually to Melbourne Street, where it was renamed the New Orleans Club, with the Vieux Carre Jazzmen resident on Fridays and Sundays. The Mighty Joe Young Jazzmen, who later changed from New Orleans to Mainstream, started a Saturday night residency at the club. Gradually, every night of the week was taken up by different bands. For once, the vagaries of Services' postings benefited jazz. In 1959, L.A.C. Malcolm Cecil was posted to the North­-East, where he met Mike Carr. With Mike Jeffrey and two associates, they opened the Downbeat Jazz Club, where the now famous EmCee 5 first played. Early 1960 found the River City Jazz­men playing Saturday nights at the Downbeat. This band included Jack "Dad" Potts (trumpet) and Ray Shenton (tuba). Later that year, Bill Croft's Blue Star Jazzmen, with John Walters (trumpet) and Jeff Robinson (drums), began the Thursday night session, changing later to Friday night, to share the bill with the Kansas City 5, with Eric Burdon. John Pearce circa 1960.

2 comments :

  1. I was a regular at The Newcastle Jazz Club in the 50s and 60s and was a great fan of Ronnie Robinson (Clarinet) - When I used to walk in he would play Sweet Lorraine.

    The Club closed down and the area was razed to the ground. We had a "funeral" parade across the city to commemorate the loss of the club and it was a memorable day since I played my clarinet next to Ronnie.

    The club was excellent.

    ReplyDelete

About this blog - contact details.
Bebop Spoken Here -- Here, being the north-east of England -- centred in the blues heartland of Newcastle and reaching down to the Tees Delta and looking upwards to the Land of the Kilt.
Not a very original title, I know; not even an accurate one as my taste, whilst centred around the music of Bird and Diz, extends in many directions and I listen to everything from King Oliver to Chick Corea and beyond. Not forgetting the Great American Songbook the contents of which has provided the inspiration for much great jazz and quality popular singing for round about a century.
The idea of this blog is for you to share your thoughts and pass on your comments on discs, gigs, jazz - music in general. If you've been to a gig/concert or heard a CD that knocked you sideways please share your views with us. Tell us about your favourites, your memories, your dislikes.
Lance (Who wishes it to be known that he is not responsible for postings other than his own and that he's not always responsible for them.)
Contact: lanceliddle@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from you.

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