Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Opus 4 Jazz Club, Darlington - July 18

Greg Abate (alto sax, flute); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums)

The second of two gigs in a day for visiting American alto saxophonist Greg Abate. Earlier, the man from Woonsocket, Rhode Island played to an encore-demanding full house up the road in Newcastle, this evening the setting was somewhat different. The Traveller's Rest is the sort of hostelry which allows the resident jazz club to get on with it. The upstairs room on West Auckland Road attracted considerably more punters than of late - clearly word had got around!

Greg Abate tours the UK twice a year (July and November) and in visiting these shores for the best part of a quarter of a century, Darlington was new territory. Looking at the portraits on the walls around the room (see photo of Abate playing flute), Abate concluded he was the special guest of a 'modern jazz' club. Opening with On Green Dolphin Street he hit the spot with the regulars, his hard bop alto sax was just what Darlington's Dr Jazz ordered. Whoops and hollers told Abate all he needed to know.

Jazz Time Aycliffe Radio - Sundays 6.30-8.00pm (repeated Tuesdays 8.00-9.30pm).

https://www.ayclifferadio.co.uk/listen.

Playlist 20/07/25 (repeated Tuesday 22/07/25)

Seasonal: The Modern Jazz Quartet, WDR Big Band w Anat, Avishai & Yuval Cohen.

Requests from Paul Skerritt's Bishop Auckland gig: Oliver Nelson Septet, Ella Fitzgerald, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, John Scofield.

Other Requests: Benny Goodman Quartet, Blue Mitchell Quartet, Flying Horse Big Band, Pat Longo & His Latin Jazz Band, Dave Brubeck/Laurence Mason, Bix Beiderbecke.

What’s on in the NE: Isobel Pearce, Ragtime Rewind.

Chamber Jazz Sextet.

Aycliffe Radio is now available on DAB in County Durham & the Darlington Area.

Samara Joy: BBC Proms (Saturday)

Samara Joy sings the Great American Songbook! At 25, Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy is riding the crest of a wave. BSH first came across Ms Joy when she was one of Emmet Cohen's livestream guests. The reaction then was: Wow! Subsequently, BSH has been lucky enough to hear the New Yorker sing at Ronnie Scott's, then Birmingham Town Hall, on both occasions the reaction was: Wow!

R.I.P. Chris Kaberry (August 1, 1963 - July 17, 2025)

© Russell

It is with great sadness that I've received the news of the passing of saxophonist, composer, arranger and bandleader Chris Kaberry on Thursday (July 17).

For many years Chris' baritone provided the anchor role in the sax section of the Customs House Big Band and I was fortunate in being able to hear Chris with that band on many occasions.

He later lead his own band - the Vermont Big Band - who delighted both dancers and listeners in and around North Tyneside. In the photo Chris can be seen, looking as dapper as any of the leaders at the Oxford or the Mayfair back in the day, leading the band at Cullercoats Crescent Club in 2019.

Our thoughts go out to Val who, I'm sure, has been a tower of strength throughout this sad time.

May he Rest In Peace, he will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Lance

Late Night Chicago Jazz Radio with Denny Farrell (July 17 - July 23)

Here's this week's hot list of cool sounds from the Windy City:

Oscar Peterson Trio: You Look Good to me.

Chris Connor: Lullaby of Birdland.

Barney Kessel: Embraceable You.

Julie London: A Foggy Day.

Larry Branchetti: I Can't Give You Anything But Love.

Sally Blair: You Make me Feel so Young.

Georgie Auld: Taking a Chance on Love.

Nina Simone: He Needs me.

Carmen McRae; Easy to Love.

Lyle Lovett: Good Intentions.

Buck Clayton: Rock-A-Bye-Basie.

Maxine Sullivan: Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams.

Dave Brubeck Quartet: Blue Moon.

Lance

LISTEN.

Bob Caswell Funeral

It has been announced that the funeral of singer Bob Caswell who died on July 13 will take place at Kettering Crematorium, NN16 8XE, on Wednesday July 30 at 10:30am. 

R.I.P. Lance

Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ the Lit & Phil - July 18

© Patti

Greg Abate (alto sax, flute); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (bass); Abbie Finn (drums)

Faced with a circa six hours train journey from Exeter to Newcastle for a lunchtime gig at Newcastle's 200-year-old (to the very day) Literary & Philosophical Society many of the audience, including myself, wondered if Greg Abate would: a) arrive on time, b) just go through the motions or c) deliver the bebop blast we have grown to expect from him on his many previous visits to Newcastle?

The opening On Green Dolphin Street quickly dismissed our fears. He soared like an eagle who had just dined on fried yardbird. His fingers dexterously manipulating the keywork of Selmer's vintage flagship - the Mark VI alto saxophone - and the ideas flowed. It seemed effortless but how many hours did he spend in the woodshed to achieve such greatness - it wasn't thrust upon him?

Press release: APPJG deadline extended

Due to popular demand we  have extended the deadline for close of nominations till Friday 25th July at Midnight. We still have a tight time frame this year due to raising funds for the awards and finding a suitable venue. We are grateful to the Musicians's Union for their support of the houseband and this year's venue is the World Heart Beat near Nine Elms tube station.

Here are the links:

To nominate please go to: Nominations Parliamentary Jazz Awards

Here is the link for the avoidance of doubt: https://forms.gle/zRFf76aedGiq8qYE6

Voting closes on Friday 25th July 2025 at Midnight

NONUNONU @ Elder Beer, Newcastle - July 17

Tim Williams (guitar); Andy Patterson (bass guitar); Ruben Sheridan (drums)

Elder Beer on Chillingham Road was doing good business, inside and out. The micro pub's backyard functions as an open air (part covered) performance space and on this balmy July evening NONUNONU were back in town. Since the trio's formation in 2019 the Manchester based musicians have clocked up no fewer than four appearances here in Heaton, Newcastle. This evening's gig, the trio's fifth, would play to a full house (backyard). 

In a throw back to the days when jazz clubs were (mythically or not) to be found in dingy, smoke-filled basements, here in Elder Beer's backyard it seemed it was all but compulsory to drink, smoke and/or vape. NONUNONU - that's Tim Williams, guitar, Andy Patterson, bass, Ruben Sheridan, drums - opened with a jazz-funk take on Paul Dupont's La Rosita. 

Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra @ The Hippodrome, Darlington - July 15

Jools and his R & B orchestra served up their usual high energy mix of jazz, blues and boogie and everything in between, and sometimes beyond. If you only see him on TV it's easy to forget what a top class pianist he is, as demonstrated when most of the orchestra leave him to it. He also sings, plays guitar and conducts the band. The whole band are capable of swinging like crazy when required but everyone took at least one solo which demonstrated their excellent musicianship. Most of the band are long-time members, but sadly longstanding drummer Gilson Lavis, who's been with band since the start and also played in Squeeze with Jools, has had to retire to be well-replaced by Ed Richardson. 

Special guests were Chris Difford (ex Squeeze, with Jools), and regular vocalists Sumudu Jayatilaka, Louise Marshall, and Ruby Turner all singing three songs each.