Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Nubiyan Twist @ Digital, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £28.75 (inc. bf).
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 7:30pm. Date, time & admission TBC.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Zoe Gilby & Andy Champion @ Blaydon Jazz Club.

Zoe Gilby (vcl), Andy Champion (bs).
The singer who decides to do a number accompanied only by double bass walks a musical tightrope. The failure rate is high. Fortunately, the fall is cushioned by the safety net of having the comfort zone of a band to fall back on in the next number.
However, when the chanter elects to play a whole gig with only the bass for support then there ain't no safety net and disaster beckons with every note.
That no such catastrophe occurred tonight speaks volumes for Zoe and Andy performing only their second gig as a duo.
"Time After Time", "Comes Love", "Nice Work If You Can Get it," "Round Midnight", "One Note Samba" were just some of the mouthwatering gems Sir Andrew and Dame Zoe treat the Blaydon faithful to. "A Weaver of Dreams" - absolutely ravishing - "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" aaah - Roberta Flack, Clint Eastwood and the film "Play Misty for Me". I could feel the hair curling on the back of my neck as Zoe brought back memories of that scary film. Among it all Andy performed like an orchestra in support of his future missus. His solos were something else too.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening was when Zoe introduced a song written by one of Bebop Spoken Here's contributers. I refer to George Milburn.
"Take It Easy ...But Take It." was given its world premiere tonight in Blaydon. Well done George we are proud of you it's got a clever lyric - it's a good song and Zoe and Andy did it justice.
In the final "West Coast Blues" Zoe ad libbed tributes to George, Roly who organised the gig, and to Bebop Spoken Here - nice one Zoe.
Lance.
at

3 comments :

Roly said...

I was enthralled by this concert from start to finish. You could tell from the first few notes it was all going to work. Agreed, well done Zoe & Andy - a wonderful effort.
Roly

Friday, October 16, 2009 7:34:00 am
George M said...

Lyrical Lance, thanks for your kind words when all I could say was, "It could be a tad faster!" ungrateful swine, flew by when we were having so much fun! This duo performance should be an album which I would play and play ; on Mark Self's film you can hear the pins dropping all the way through - along with the discerning jazz jaws! www.musicfilmbroth.com

Friday, October 16, 2009 9:32:00 am
Liz said...

Zoe is some Chanteuse & that's for sure, do hope that one day I will get to see her & Andy. The choice of numbers was superb
Liz

Friday, October 16, 2009 5:20:00 pm

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