Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: 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 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

What's New?

This morning a wonderful sound came filtering out of the kitchen from the Terry Wogan Show of all things. It was Linda Ronstadt singing "What's New?" surely one of the top ten songs of the 20th century. Like "Stardust" a perfect match of music and lyrics. I believe the story behind it is that Bob Haggard wrote the tune in 1938 and Johnny Burke promised to write words for it and then forgot, some years later when they met Haggard asked about the lyric and Burke said he had them in his office and would go and get them. An hour later he came back with the newly written words and the rest as they say is history, and he changed the title from "I'm Free" to "What's New?" There is still hope for Radio 2.
Miles.

5 comments :

Lance said...

I've got the original LP. Arrangements by Nelson Riddle. I reckon the other titles could qualify in the all-time list as well:
I've Got A Crush on You/I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry/Crazy He Calls Me/Someone to Watch Over Me/I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You./What'll I Do?/ Loverman/ Goodbye.

Liz said...

Well Miles, nowadays I despair of Radio 2. They used to broadcast so much good stuff, particularly on a Sunday. Now all we have of the standards is David Jacobs at 11pm. This is just too late for many people of a certain age I feel. Gillian Reynolds says it all in her columns.She was always on with Parky in the days gone by & she adores the pre 1960's stuff. However, getting back to your words on "What's new?" you sure got that right...a wonderful number
Liz

Hil said...

The song is wonderful I totally agree. However I smile whenever I hear it played. It reminds me of a certain gentleman singer (not a geordie chap!!??) serenading just me with this particular number in the Jazz Cafe when I was sitting next to him about 20 yrs ago...lol...The fact that the band were actually playing another tune didn't deter him in the slightest. I wonder if anyone can guess who it was?..;o)

Hil.

Lance said...

Let me guess - it was either Mike or Dave the Rave? (Neither of them Geordie's)

Hil said...

Well it wasn't Mike....;o)

Mike used to play the trumpet and sing to me 'Cant Get Started with you' One of his favourite trumpet players Bunny Berigan recorded it in 1937.
I found this on Youtube with Maynard and Al Hirt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNl1QqnSL8Y
The last time Mike played it for me was at the Cork Jazz Festival in about 1990. He sounded fine...but one drunken Irish man ruined it for him by asking him if it was him playing and singing? When Mike replied..the Irish man said "Well stick to the f****** trumpet"....Sadly he never did sing it again...;o)

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