Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Durham Alumni Big Band & Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Theatre. 7:30pm. £12.00. Two big bands on stage together!
Fri 06: Nauta + Littlewood Trio @ Little Buildings, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Double bill + jam session.
Fri 06: FILM: Made in America @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Ornette Coleman.
Fri 06: Deep Six Blues @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

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

Monday, November 09, 2009

Margaret's Memorabilia

Margaret Barnes came up with some memorabilia tonight. 1) 1956 Stan Kenton program. Stan's first tour of the UK. 1a) Miles has provided this insight into how hard these guys worked with this schedule of the '52 Kenton band. I wonder if anyone has a 1953 program of the band's visit to Dublin? ----- 2) In this photo Humph is, we assume, giving the girl a trumpet lesson... CAN ANYONE IDENTIFY HER? ----- 3) This one could be in a marquee or on a boat but with a grand piano it probably wasn't a riverboat shuffle. CAN ANYONE IDENTIFY THE BASS AND PIANO PLAYER? ----- 4) Finally - can anyone tell me about this circa late '50s/early '60s group? Comments appreciated. Lance.

6 comments :

Val said...

the guy on the right of picture 4 looks like a young Bruce Welsh to me Lance?

Hil said...

I wonder if its a band who used to do the Majestic Ballroom (on Westgate Rd)? They were called the Gamblers.
I used to go there to a under 18's hop on a Saturday lunchtime.
A certain band from Liverpool had made their 1st recording of a song "Love me Do"...(I think???) they appeared there but my friend and I liked the Gamblers best....;o)

Miles said...

I can't identify the girl but the marquee reminds me of a barbecue that Northumberland Scouts ran at Gosforth Park Racecourse in I think 1966/7. When Humph played, the band included Jimmy Skidmore and Kathy Stobart. It chucked it down all day and Manfred Mann was on at the Mayfair so hardly anybody turned up and they lost money.

Adrian Tilbrook said...

Gordon Beck - Appleby Jazz Fest

AT

Lance said...

Hil's suggestion has been confirmed by George Gray as The Gamblers who went on to back Billy Fury.
Trumpet is Tony Damond, Tenor sax, Ken Brady, Bass guitar is Alan Sanderson and the drummer is Andy Mack'
Thank you George.

Lance said...

Thanks Adrian. With that information I have discovered that the bass player is Jeremy Brown. No doubt the missing drummer was Tony Levin.

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