Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

June

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Sat 27: OUTRI @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £13.01. 1:00-1:45pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Richardson & Westgarth Sport & Social Club, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. Note change of venue.
Sat 27: House of the Black Gardenia + Magpies of Swing @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 2:15-3:15pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 3:45-4:45pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Rory Ingham @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 5:30-6:30pm. £19.51. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Ingham w. Dean Stockdale, Ian Paterson, Dave McKeague.
Sat 27: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 27: Laura Jurd @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £26.00. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Sat 27: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Susannah McCorkle

Yesterday, May 19, marked the 8th anniversary of the death of Susannah McCorkle, one of my favourite singers. A manic depressive, Susannah killed herself by jumping from a window in New York.
She was 55.
Susannah McCorkle had a unique voice that first came to my attention when I, literally, stumbled over an LP of hers in a Drury Lane charity shop. The record was an album entitled "The Quality of Mercer" that, after picking myself up, I bought for 50p. It was the first of many LPs and CDs that I amassed and cherished. Recorded in London, in 1977, with a band that included Danny Moss, Digby and her partner to be (briefly) Keith Ingham she interprets the Johnny Mercer songs as good as anyone ever did. Check out her almost laconic rendition of "This Time The Dream's On Me" and other Susannah gems on YouTube. Here there is a frustrating interview with vocal snippets. I say frustrating because the actual interview is excellent giving an insight into her musical awareness but the music itself suffers from abysmal recording. Never mind it is worth it for the, I believe, only known interview. I have a vague recollection that Susannah did some gigs in Newcastle during the 1970s at, possibly, "Change Is" or maybe even the New Orleans Club. Anyone able to confirm this?
Lance.
PS: My Ideal is just that! She'd be So Easy To Love.
at

6 comments :

Russell said...

Hi Lance

A few years ago the Vermont Hotel ran a short - lived series of jazz cabaret evenings. Annie Ross appeared, as did, I think, Elaine Delmar. One or two others performed over the weeks. I wonder was Susannah McCorkle one of them ? The local backing was from the likes of Billy Harper and possibly Syd Warren.

Russell

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:29:00 pm
Lance said...

At the time I'm thinking of - early/mid 70s I don't think the Vermont had been built.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:45:00 pm
Roly said...

Agreed she had a very warm, sincere vocal style. I have that Mercer tribute album - it's excellent. I remember her being very popular around that time, getting very established in the UK as well as internationally. A bit like Rebecca Kilgore now I think. Can't recall any local gigs though. Very sad, her demise.
Roly

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 6:57:00 pm
Liz said...

What a truly lovely natural voice she had, I had never heard of her until Lance made me aware some time ago.
How tragic that her life was so tormented & short.
Liz

Thursday, May 21, 2009 8:43:00 am
Hil said...

oh! how wonderful...

Off now to buy a cd for a certain young ladies forthcoming birthday.
Dont tell her tho, coz its a birthday secret...;o)

Hil x

Friday, May 22, 2009 10:36:00 am
Lance said...

Reading Chris Yates'new book - "Blue Horizons" he mentions a concert by Dick Sudhalter that had Susannah on vocals. I wonder if this was the gig I attended at the Peoples Theatre? If so I heard one of my favourite singers and didn't realise it!
Hang your head in shame Lance.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 11:30:00 am

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