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

18532 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 396 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 15) 50

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

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).

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Jordan Jackson @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.80 (inc. bf); £15.40 (inc. bf).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Jazz Classics with Rivkala @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Rivkala (vocals); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Thu 21: 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 22: Paul Skerritt @ Market Place, Durham. From 12 noon. Free. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Fri 22: Paul Edis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00. Edis, Andy Champion, Steve Hanley.
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 22: Paul Edis Trio @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £TBC. Edis, Andy Champion, Steve Hanley.

Sat 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall. 2:00pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 23: Paul Edis @ Core Music, Gilesgate, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00. A Core Music fundraiser, Hexham Jazz Weekender Day/Weekend ticket not applicable. Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sat 23: Blyth Big Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 6:30pm. £9.00., £5.00.
Sat 23: Paul Edis & Friends @ Musicwonders, Church Chare, Chester-le-Street. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £15.00. www.musicwonders.org. BYOB. SOLD OUT!
Sat 23: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Queen’s Hall Hexham. 7:00pm. £13.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sat 23: TC & the Groove Family + Lagos to Longbenton @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sat 23: Davina & the Vagabonds @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £22.00. + £1.50 bf.
Sat 23: Celebrating Wes Montgomery @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 8:15pm. £14.00., £12.00. Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sat 23: Chris Coull’s Porgy & Bess @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 9:30pm. £16.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.

Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 24: SwanNek @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £11.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sun 24: Salty Dog @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free. Donations.
Sun 24: Ben Crosland’s Threeway @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. £13.50 (inc. bf). Line-up inc. Steve Waterman. Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sun 24: Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Street Brass Band Bonanza: The Fanfare + Storytellers + Tenth Avenue Band @ The Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £10.00., £8.00.
Sun 24: Charlie Parr @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50. Blues. Jumpin’ Hot Club.
Sun 24: Olly Styles Experience @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.
Sun 24: Finn-Keeble Group @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 8:15pm. £13.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender. Feat. Jamil Sheriff.
Sun 24: Modern Vikings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 9:30pm. £16.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.

Mon 25: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Alexander Stewart & Alex Webb Trio @ Spice of Life. Special guests Denys Baptist & Abram Wilson

Alexander Stewart (vcl), Alex Webb (pno), Gary Crosby (bs), Andy Chapman (dms) + Denys Baptiste (ten), Abram Wilson (tpt), Paul Pace, Rosemary, Jennie, Christine (vcls).
Was this a gig or was this a gig!?
Alexander Stewart is one of the best young singers I've heard in many a year. Okay, so he relates to Bublé and, by those musical genetics to Sinatra, nevertheless he is is his own (young) man.
He literally took The Spice apart with his versions of "Too Marvelous For Words", "Young at Heart" and a variety of other standards such as Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover". "I'm in the Mood For Love", "Love me or Leave Me", "Body and Soul" plus a few originals written by pianist Alex Webb.
When Denys Baptiste joined in on tenor it became a kickass evening. The highspot for me was "You Don't Know Me". Baptiste's tenor scorched the rooftops whilst Alexander turned it into a 2009 torch song.
Something else!
There were so many more gems throughout.
Paul Pace sang a couple then introduced three girls who each did their own thing. After Rosie and Jennie had sung and swung "East of the Sun" and "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" respectively, a lass called Christine raised the game with her take on "Anthropology" - wow Christine I love you!
Then, just when you thought it was all over, during Alexander's final set on came Abram Wilson who blew some terrific trumpet on "All of Me". Abram has gigs coming up at Canterbury, Milton Keynes, London and beyond so check him out - he is the business.
To make the night complete, I sat in a corner like that guy Jackie Horner and made conversation with a chap who was drinking his curds and whey. (So I'm mixing him up with Little Miss Muffet? Poetic licence!)
Guess what? He came from Durham! And he played tenor! We had a thing or two in common!
Nice to meet you Tom - we'll keep in touch.
Then there was my buddy the doorman - if Down Beat ever have a poll for Doorman of the Year you will be up there.
Super night.
Lance
at

3 comments :

Hil said...

Had a listen to Alexander Stewart on myspace and he is very good.
Only 21 yrs old from Manchester.
As Anne and Billy said to Zoe its great that youngsters are keeping the jazz flag flying.

Thursday, October 22, 2009 11:41:00 AM
Alex Webb said...

Thanks Lance for that great review of our gig last night.
I hope you don’t mind, I’ve posted your review on my Myspace and also stuck one of the live pics on my Myspace photo album – credited of course.
Many thanks for lending your ears! I’ll make sure you hear about other things we do.
Best regards,
Alex Webb
Media Relations Manager, Contemporary Music
barbican
t - 020 7382 6199
m - 07788 916768
e- awebb@barbican.org.uk
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS

Thursday, October 22, 2009 4:14:00 PM
Lance said...

Hey Alex I enjoyed it but I omitted to lavish well deserved praise on yourself and the trio. Without you guys...

Thursday, October 22, 2009 4:15:00 PM

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