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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

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.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

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

Friday, February 20, 2009

Ruth's New CD

It's been such a hectic past four days absorbing so many great and varied sounds that I'm completely jazzed-out - to use a current buzzword. So much so that my body is demanding that I give tonight's concert at the Saville Exchange by the Jazz-O-Maniacs a miss. My heart and head argued that I'd be crazy not to catch The Maniacs but my body won.
So instead, it is feet-up time with a cooling glass and a CD or two.
Talking CDs... Prior to last night's great concert by the Damon Brown/Steve Grossman Quintet Mr T - good buddy Adrian - played Ruth Lambert's latest CD and it is an absolute knockout with arrangements by John Warren that had just a hint of Marty Paich to them and a whole lot of John Warren. I don't know if it has been launched yet - I couldn't find mention on Jazz Action site - but it's one to grab and complement her previous "So Many Stars."
In the mean time I'm going to listen to Claire Martin and Sir Richard Rodney Bennett. "I Was a Little Too Lonely" is one of those great underexposed songs that the swinging knight does justice to.
Lance

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

Hi Lance

I couldn't agree more about Ms.Lambert's new,soon to be realesed,CD - it sounds great.Ruth has dates lined-up across the region in the coming months and I, for one,can't wait !

Russell

Anonymous said...

Lance & Russell are both absolutely right about the outstanding quality of Ruth's new CD, which I understand is due for release in the Autumn (why the delay Adrian?). One thing neither of them have mentioned is the tremendous contribution to the music of some of our younger local players such as Paul Edis and Graeme Wilson (who also contributed a couple of the arrangements). There was a time when local vocalists aiming to make a high quality album might have felt the need to turn to London for accompaniment: Ruth's new album is proof positive that the North East now has a pool of talent that matches anything other regions can boast.

Paul
25.2.09

Anonymous said...

Ruth’s new CD is nearly ready for release, we are putting the final touches to it now and it should be out by the end March. I’m pleased that the Corner House preview went down well and I’ll be posting the release date on the Jazzaction site soon.

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