Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 2026)

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

19,066 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 930 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 31) 109.

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

From This Moment On

November

Sat 07: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Ewan Bleach’s Cable Street Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington.
12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Superb band.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Find Your Pocket: Funk & Groove. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café, St James’ Retail Park, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 6:00pm.

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 11: Plague Doctors Cure All + Noonward @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: JANE @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 12: MoonMot + Jack Banjo’s Snackwall @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 12: Ratio: Swingin’ Through the Decades @ The Forum, Darlington. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. A charity fundraiser.
Thu 12: Look Left @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Thu 12: Michael Woods @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Acoustic blues.

Fri 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Giles Strong (guitar); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 13: Lapwing Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Richard Herdman, Jude Murphy, Paula Whitty.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Hexham Lantern Parade, Bandstand, Sele, Hexham. 6:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Sharp Collective @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm.
Fri 13: East Coast Swing Band @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 13: Guisborough Big Band @ Saltburn Golf Club. 7:30pm. Tickets: £15.00 (inc. pie & peas

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Eddie Thompson Trio - Darlington 1964

Scott Adair kindly loaned me this photo, taken at the Bridge Hotel -AKA Opus 3 Jazz Club - in Darlington in September 1964. Pictured, is the legendary pianist Eddie Thompson. Scott is the drummer and Dave Murphy is on bass.
Thompson, who died in 1986, is widely regarded as one of the all-time great British jazz pianomen. Blind since birth, his guide dog would sit faithfully at the side of the piano whilst the master performed. I seem to recall from the days when I used to hang-out at London's Flamingo Club that Eddie's dog was called Max.
Scott remembers that Eddie Thompson was magnificent that particular night playing an up-tempo version of "Tea For Two" so fast that he and Dave Murphy could barely hang on in there and neither of those two boys were/are slouches!
Thanks for the photo and the memory Scott.
Lance.
PS: Look forward to hearing Scott Adair at the Chillingham next Wednesday with the Take It To The Bridge outfit. Laurie Brown (ex Squadronaires) is there on vibes that night so two top guys to see and hear.

8 comments :

Anonymous said...

Eddies dog's name was Maida not Max.

Lance said...

Thanks Vince - at least I got the initial right!

Anonymous said...

Re.Eddie Thompson. I well remember Eddie playing in the Anchor Pub in Brighouse, W.R.Yorkshire, every Thursday night in an upstairs room.His seamless medleys of jazz standards requested by the audience were a delight.This must have been around 1974/5. The landlord was an ex-jazz flautist called Rod(last name unknown)who introduced me to Ronnie Scott at a concert in Bridlington.Eddie made a short tv series called "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing"around this time for BBC Bristol which was recorded at the BBC studios in Woodhouse Lane, Leeds.We were invited to the first session and I remember watching the whole series on tv but can find no info. on this series or anything on You-Tube.Coincidentally,Eddie introduced a lady singer, who, in his words, was making a comeback after a long illness. The lady was Marian Williams, very Lena Horne-ish and with a beautiful voice.Again...no info.can be found except that she sang with Dankworth before being supplanted by Cleo Laine.
Dave van de gevel
Zakynthos
Greece

Lance said...

Hi Dave - I remember Marian Williams well. Apart from her voice she had a couple of other assets that made her unforgettable!
She also sang with Eric Delaney and Oscar Rabin. This was back in the 1950s.

gnarps said...

Actually you are both right. Eddie's dog was named Max and when Max died, Eddie acquired a new guide dog whose name was Maida! I had the pleasure to meet Eddie when he visited Canada back around 1970 or so. I recall how he dove into the water off the dock at our cottage with no hesitation, fearless, despite his blindness. Probably an apt metaphor for how he lived his life.

Derek said...

Eddie had a unique sense of humour
and I was often playing straight man. People who didn't catch on hated me for what was said.
Example:
Eddie "I read a book last night"
Me: "Nothing clever in that, I also read a book last night.
Eddie: "Under the covers with the lights out?"
He always used to say "I know that I am blind, I wish other people could accept that and treat me as they would anyone else, instead of trying to not hurt my feelings.
I learned a lot from Eddie and think of him often. he is sorely missed.
Derek.

Lance said...

Thanks Derek (?) I'm sure you've got a lot more stories to tell of the era - love to hear them.

Annie said...

His dog prior to Maida was called Max

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