Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18122 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1086 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Dec. 31), 100

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 07: FILM: Blue Moon @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Dir. Richard Linklater’s biopic of Lorenz Hart.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 08: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones of 1976.

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Sunday, August 03, 2008

MacJazz Says ...

It was the late 1940's and a new music had arrived from America, they called it Be-Bop ! An early purchase from my favourite record shop was the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Quintet playing ' Loverman ' Sara Vaughan supplied the vocal. Was I lucky to be around to hear this musical revolution ? You bet I was! Lance says ... This posting actually turned up on 16 April this year but somehow or other got shuffled out of the system! Apologies to MacJazz and don't say 'Typical Sassenach!'
at

5 comments :

Lance said...

I came into jazz in the early '50s by which time Bop had been assimilated into the modern jazz canon and Bird was no longer seen as a trailblazer - "just" a very fine alto player!
The revolutionary of my early days was Gerry Mulligan and his pianoless quartet although the first modern discs I bought were Dizzy Gillespie's "The Champ" and Earl Bostic's "Flamingo".

Sunday, August 03, 2008 12:00:00 pm
Anonymous said...

It was Kenton that did it for me. Worshipped the guy as did a lot of us. Now most of it sounds pretentious and dated whereas most of the Woody Herman sides from the same period still sound good.
Anyone else want to tell Lance where it all began for them?

Sunday, August 03, 2008 9:53:00 pm
Anonymous said...

Mine began with my dad introducing me to wonderful vocals like "Laura" He was a fine guitarist. I grew up with Django,Hoagey and the like. Sunday nights at our local cinema were the bands of Ken mackintosh, Ted Heath etc.It was the big American bands though that really excited me. Radio Luxembourg was where we learnt the words to the current fave songs. Ella was my first real introduction to the American Songbook, and seeing her at the Leeds Odeon, age 16(me) performing one of the "Jazz at the Philharmonic" concerts was pure magic. After that I was hooked!
Music is like life blood to me and I feel fortunate to have been around to see/hear all those great artists in my younger years.Mel Tormé remains one of those singers who never disappoints.I listened to his recording of "I'll be seeing you" yesterday, I thought to myself, it doesn't get much better than that.

Monday, August 04, 2008 3:07:00 pm
Anonymous said...

Omitted to say that the Mel Tormé recording was with the great George Shearing accompanying.What a combination!

Monday, August 04, 2008 3:19:00 pm
Anonymous said...

The first jazz radio programme I listened to was on Radio Luxembourg. It was the Pye records spot between 7:15 and 8:30 every night. I seem to thing it was Midnight in Moscow by Kenny Ball that I bought after hearing it on that show.

My first move into real jazz was by way of Latin ( all the Jobim stuff ) and solo piano players such as Pete Jolly and Dudley Moore

Tuesday, August 05, 2008 8:01:00 am

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