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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 2025).

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

17,533 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 497 of them this year alone and, so far, 75 this month (June 23).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Linskill Centre, North Shields. 4:00-10:30pm. Free, but ticketed (over 18s only). A multi-bill, multi-genre ‘Canny Shiels - North Shields 800’ event. Three Kings Brewery on site.
Sat 28: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 29: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 29: Bal Bruch Social Dance @ As You Like It, Sandyford, Newcastle. 12:30pm. Free. Dance event with Hot Club de Heaton performing live (2:00-3:00pm). A ‘Jar on the Bar’ event.
Sun 29: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 3:00pm. Ray McVay & co.
Sun 29: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 29: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 29: Zoë Gilby w. Ryton Choral Society @ Corbridge Middle School NE45 5HX. 5:30pm. £15.00. Gilby w jazz trio & choir. ‘An evening of jazz song for choir’.
Sun 29: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 29: John Wilson & the Sinfonia of London @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Greatest Hits’.
Sun 29: Out Front @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

JULY 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

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, August 21, 2009

Horn Dogs @ Bridge Hotel. 20th August.

Graham Hardy (trumpet), Alastair Lord (trumpet), John Wheeler (tenor), Eddie Bellis (trombone), Don Fairley (trombone), Alex Tustin (snare drum), Brendan Murphy (bass drum & percussion), Paul Susans (sousaphone). I was on the horns of a dilemma - to go over to Blaydon to catch Roly's gig or go into town to hear Graham Hardy's new outfit?
Hardy's Horn Dogs and the promise of a topnotch pint won the day. The Isle of Skye Brewery's ''Skyelight'' proved to be a good choice - would the music?
The eight piece band filled the small stage of the upstairs room; the room itself was standing room only as the opener, an uptempo ''Tears of a Clown'' drew rapturous applause from an excited, expectant crowd. Rainbow's ''Since You've Been Gone'' (not exactly familiar jazz material) worked well as did a quickfire slew of film, television and cartoon theme tunes; the theme from the ''A Team'', ''Banana Splits'', ''Flash!'' and a sci-fi medley! The first set rattled along with a couple of bona fide jazz numbers thrown in to appease the Jazz Police (such appeasement wasn't necessary - the JP weren't in attendance) - the Youngblood Brass Band's ''Brooklyn'' (a feature for Eddie Bellis) and the timeless hymn ''What a Friend We Have in Jesus''. These latter tunes demonstrated the band's jazz credentials; the disciplined ensemble work of the brass band and the flawless technique of each and every one of the jazz musicians on the stand. The joint jumpin', the band cookin', the interval offered the welcome opportunity of a refreshing pint. The Bridge Hotel has some of the best beers to be found anywhere and tonight's selection was particularly good. A new barrel had just been introduced in time for the interval - the Big Lamp Brewery's ''A Brew for Bobby''. Tiptop, as they say. The second set proved to be every bit as good as the first. Bright and breezy, a consistently high standard of performance and real enthusiasm shown by all, not least the rhythm section (Tustin, Murphy & Susans). Graham Hardy contributed two original compositions - ''Big and Brassy'' and ''The Melon Felony''. Hardy can write. He should produce and perform more of his own material. At the end of the night the band won an encore. Quite right too. Horn Dogs sent us on our way with ''Hey Jude''. All together now...next time we'll get along to a Horn Dogs gig. Russell.

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