Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

September.

Sun 27: Salty Dog @ The Cluny. 12:30pm (doors). Free (donations).
Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Zach Sewell-Lara Hopper Quintet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 27: Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. RESCHEDULED to Sunday 4 October.
Sun 27: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Alex Hitchcock Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Mon 28: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat ‘King’ Cole @ Hepscott Parish Hall. 7:30pm. . £15.00., £12.00. (Early Bird advance ticket), £10.00. Off-Broadway production feat. Duane Forrest.
Tue 29: Red Kites Jazz @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat ‘King’ Cole @ The Hearth, Horsley. 7:30pm. £15.00., £12.00. (Early Bird advance ticket), £10.00. Off-Broadway production feat. Duane Forrest.
Wed 30: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 30: New Ways of Moving in the Counterworlds + Juliana Day & Manon McCoy + Helen Anahita Wilson @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. A BBC Introducing-Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

October

Thu 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Rivkala @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 01: Hot Club de Heaton @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 01: The Scenic Route @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Alison Gill + Markrokosmos @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music (NFOJAIM).
Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Gilby & Hunter + Andy Champion @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. The Abbie Finn Trio augmented by Dean Stockdale (piano).
Fri 02: Alexia Gardner Trio @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 02: Zoe Rahman Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 8:00pm. NFOJAIM. SOLD OUT!

Sat 03: New Orleans Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Gavin Lee & co.
Sat 03: Anemone Quartet + Jeepe Zeeburg @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Caravan. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Free. Excellent blues band.
Sat 03: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.50 (inc. bf). Two sets: 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. ‘Swing Band Dance Night’.
Sat 03: Olie Brice Quartet + Alexander Hawkins + Harper Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Info on Syd Warren Wanted.

I received the following EMail, I'm sure we can help Maxene:
Hello, I wonder if you can help me. My dad was Syd Warren, tenor sax player in the north east for many years. My dad sadly passed away almost 14 years ago.I was wondering if you had any photos of him as, unfortunately, I have lost contact with his second wife. When my dad was 15 he played at the Oxford Galleries in Newcastle, I can remember as a child a photo of him in a big band, I think the Band Leader was George Evans but I am not sure. I would be really grateful if you could come up with anything of him. About twenty years ago he made a record with Scott Adair, Colin Haikney, Kay Rouselle, Derek Dixon, and Ray Harley. I have just recently started listening to it and the memories come flooding back of his playing and happy times. I wondered if any of them are still with us. Can you help me with that? I would love to hear from you and I know it is a tall order.
Kind regards
Maxene Wells .
Maxene, I've tried to EMail you but the server was having none of it. I've put a few photos together here. There may be more to follow. In the above photo Syd (tenor) is with American trombone player Jiggs Whigham, Derek Dixon (bs) & Willie Payne (gtr).

11 comments :

Maxene said...

Just a big thank you for the photos of my dad Syd Warren, they are great, what lovely memories to see him again.
A big thank you.
Kind regards
Maxene Wells

Maureen said...

I worked with Maxene's Mum, Cathy Warren, in the late '50s/early '60s at Eve Brown Fashions on Northumberland Street, Newcastle, where I was a window dresser and Cathy senior sales on the ladies' coat department.
Many times I was baby-sitter to Maxene at their home in Wellfield, Whitley Bay, so that Cathy could accompany Syd to one of his gigs or to a party afterwards. The last time would have probably been early 1961 with my husband (then my fiance) and I remember many Saturday nights dancing to the George Evan's big band, with Syd on saxophone, at the Oxford Galleries.

Lance said...

I recall the jazz club at The Rex, Whitley Bay, on Sunday evenings. To get there, involved a bus ride, a walk through the pedestrian tunnel, then two further bus journeys but it was worth it to hear Syd playing Rosolino's "Blue Daniel". Strangely, I can't recall who else was in the band - perhaps someone can enlighten me?

jon said...

Syd was my flute teacher from 1986 until I finished school in 1992. I'd have lessons once a week at school where his patience with struggling beginners was amazing. He would occassionally pick up his flute and fly off into a jazz warm-up to which I'd just sit back and wonder if I'd ever be that good. He also used to lead a group of woodwind students every Saturday morning at Mortimer School (South Shields) and later at Laygate primary. When we were up to scratch we joined the other kids and staff in the Stage Band and performed with local professionals. I can remember George Evans coming along to play at one concert (my sister was loaned his bass saxophone which lived in a box the size of a coffin). We even performed charity concerts, one with Johnny Heanan singing Sinatra classics in The New Tyne Theatre, Newcastle.

Syd was a great teacher and excellent musician. It was great to see pictures of him here. I'm forever grateful that he taught me the flute and I'm glad to say that i still play now, although without the confidence and skill that Syd had on flute, clarinet and saxophone!

Lance said...

Great memories from Jon. Any more of Syd's pupils out there?

Anonymous said...

what was the title of the record sid played with scott adair

Peter Fraser said...

I was one of Syds pupils on the saxophone. When I first started Maxine used to sit with her fingers in her ears. I knew Syd a long time in fact the last time I saw him was when he opened the Carousel Club in Chester le Street . I left to work in london as a music copyist and was a regular at Ronnie Scott's i used to do work for them. I saw most of the ham shanks tenor sax players and you can take it from me they were not as good as Syd Warren. I came home for the weekend and my mother told me Syd had passed away.
Peter Fraser Blyth Northumberland

John Cox said...

Also know that a good friend of his was [the late] Stan Coates.

John Cox said...

Forgot to mention. Hedworth Lane primary school and Boldon Comprehensive.

John Cox said...

Syd was my clarinet/sax teacher from 1983-92 when music was still free. Played in Laygate big band with him when I left school too. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have had my passion for music. Eternally grateful. Great guy and an absolutely awesome musician.

Anonymous said...

Just reminiscing and came across this post!

Like Jon, Mr Warren was my clarinet and sax teacher from 1984 until I went to university at Boldon Comp and Saturday big band sessions.
We still kept in touch and played together at Gosforth Park Hotel and Park Hotel Tynemouth. He did so much for young musicians and I still have a gold saxophone necklace he gave me.
His funeral was very musical!
A friend, Ian Trewhella, also a fellow student, bought his tenor sax and I believe he will still own it! I have his saxophone stand.
Sadly no photos but very happy memories!

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