Bebop Spoken There

Ethan Hawke (starring as Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon): ''Larry [Lorenz] Hart would be so happy that his music and his words and his poetry are still alive.'' - The Northern Echo 27 November 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

18000 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 964 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 24).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Fri 05: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05: Jazzy Xmas @ Redhills, Durham. 7:30-10:00pm. £10.00., £9.00., £8.00. Miners’ Hall, Flass St., Durham. Feat. Durham University Big Band & Durham University Jazz Orchestra.
Fri 05: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 05: Alligator Gumbo @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £16.96. Saltburn Jazz Xmas Party.

Sat 06: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 06: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Minor Swing. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 06: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 06: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76 (inc. bf).
Sat 06: Kaberry Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. (inc. hot buffet). ‘Christmas 1945’. Kaberry Big Band, formerly Vermont Big Band.
Sat 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ Platform 1, Bedlington. 7:30pm. £6.00. Rhythm & blues.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. Xmas Party with buffet.
Sat 06: The Jive Aces @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £22.00., £20.00.
Sat 06: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. special guest Donna Hewitt (sax, clarinet).
Sun 07: Finn-Keeble Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Ruth Lambert.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Jason Isaacs Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 5:15pm (4:00pm doors). £21.50 (inc. bf).
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Support set from Play More Jazz! course participants. Note earlier start.

Mon 08: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 09: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm

Wed 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 10: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Mike Lindup Jazz Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £26.50 (inc. bf). Lindup, Yolanda Charles (bass), John Sam (drums).
Wed 10: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00.

Thu 11: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: West Coast (cool ) / Wordsearch (cool) Cool Jazz or ‘Cold’, ‘Cool’, ‘Hot’, ‘Warm’ in the title or lyrics.
Thu 11: George Robinson @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £5.42 (inc. bf). Vienna’s Voice charity evening featuring ’15 year old singing sensation the ‘Redcar Crooner’ George Robinson’. Over 35s only.
Thu 11: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. back tapes.
Thu 11: Ransom Van @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 11: Down for the Count Swing Orchestra @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:30pm. £37.70 (inc. bf). ‘Swing into Xmas’.

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

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Gigs/CDs of the Year coming shortly...

It's that time of year again when we ask you to send your favourite gigs and CDs of 2018.
Look forward to your lists. Either add them as a comment or email me.
Lance.
at

6 comments :

Russell said...

Gig of the Year: Mingus Big Band - Middlesbrough Jazz Weekender
CD of the Year: Jo Harrop - Songs for the Late Hours

Wednesday, December 12, 2018 12:20:00 am
Peter said...

CDs of the year
Flat Earth Society: Untitled #0
AKA Moon: Now
Roberto Ottaviano: Eternal Love

Gig of the Year: Enemy at Cheltenham Jazz Festival

Wednesday, December 12, 2018 9:07:00 am
Roly said...

Two great gigs -
Graeme Wilson Quartet (CD launch) at Jazz Café.
Mick Shoulder Quintet at Blaydon in November.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018 5:21:00 pm
Christoph said...

CD of the year
Johannes Enders: Endorphin
Julian Siegel Quartet: Vista
New York Standard Quartet; Heaven Steps to Seven

Wednesday, December 12, 2018 5:26:00 pm
Steve T said...

Like the sound of that: Heaven Steps to Seven; I'll presumably be needing one of those.

Very difficult this year; difficult to get down to ten, and had I left it til tomorrow, it would have likely changed:

10. Triptych @ Fox, Hexham, 11th Sept.
9. Seun Kuti @ Sage, Gateshead, 2nd May.
8. Kamasi Washington @ Cheltenham Jazz Festival, 6th May.
7. Tower of Power @ Cheltenham Jazz Festival, 6th May.
6. Zappatistas @ Pizza Express, Soho, 31st Aug.
5. Nigel Kennedy @ Cheltenham Jazz Festival, 5th May.
4. Francis Tulip Quartet @ Globe, Newcastle, 5th Aug.
3. RNCM plays Zappa @ Manchester Met, 30th Nov.
2. Zakir Hussain/ Dave Holland/ Chris Potter @ Edinburgh Jazz Festival, 22nd Aug.
1. Stanley Clarke @ London Jazz Festival, 20th Nov.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018 7:08:00 pm
Tony Eales said...

Top ten gigs of the year

1) Mass in Blue - Will Todd - Durham Cathedral
2) Skeltr - Durham Jazz Festival
3) Jazz across Europe 4 - GIJF
4) The Sun Ra Arkestra - GIJF
5) James Morrison - Wigan Jazz Festival
6) James Morrison - Durham Gala Brass Festival
7) Jo Harrop - Ushaw Jass Festival
8) Stan Sulzmann's Neon Orchestra- Scarborough Jazz Festival
9) Mingus Big Band - Middlesborough Jazz Weekender
10) Sue Ferris Trio - Opus 4, Darlington

Thursday, December 13, 2018 4:50:00 pm

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