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

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.

Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00. Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 13: Joe Steels @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 13: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Fri 13: Tom Remon & John Moriarty @ The Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, Sunderland SR1 3QJ. 7:00pm. £10.00 + £1.00 bf.

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

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Alan Glen Trio Take it to the Bridge One More Time.

Alan Glen (pno), Jim Crinson (bs), David Carnegie (dms).
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Dave Weisser (tpt/vcl), Doug Fielder (ten), Barrie Ascroft (pno), Jim Crinson (bs), Mathew Office (gtr), Eric Stutt (dms).
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There are some nice things that happen monthly. Counteracting the bills there are things like a favourite magazine dropping through the letterbox, your paycheck going into the bank, the wife going to stay with her mother for a few days; an endless list. My monthly fix is when the Alan Glen Trio play the Chilli.
This is always an eagerly anticipated event even if tonight raised some initial doubts.
Doubts, I hasten to add, that were hastily dispelled.
In a nutshell, Pope, John, couldn't make the gig - presumably he had some Papal duties to perform - and regular Chilli Bull fiddle man Jim Crinson stepped into the breach totally unrehearsed.
The 'boy' did good! Jim handled everything that was dished up and emerged with his reputation untarnished.
Love For Sale, I Should Care, a Glen original entitled Big Deal in Ocho-Rios, Alone Together, What's New, It Could Happen to You and Autumn Leaves. A set list to salivate over and when played by Maestro Glen it is as near to perfection as you'll get on a cold night in Heaton (substitute Heaton with anywhere).
The flurry of notes, the (seemingly) eleven fingered chords, the sheer inventiveness of his improvisations - his fingers leave few notes untouched as he shows what can be done with the well-tempored klaviarchord - all serve to remind me why each monthly visit from the trio is eagerly awaited. Anyone with a modicum of interest in jazz should have been here tonight to witness an artist re-writing modern jazz piano.
David Carnegie, once again, as he did with Extreme Measures on Sunday, demonstrated his all-round versatility (of which we'll hear more).
Jim Crinson? He came off that stage a star.
Earlier, the Take it to the Bridge gang had played a set that had Dave working out on My Foolish Heart - he really got his chanting chops into this one.
Doug played a gentle, probing, tenor solo round the sequence keeping the mood going whilst, on guitar, young Mathew also had his say. I think Dave should let Matt play a trio/quartet feature with the rhythm section, give him a chance to fly.
In the final set the band did things to In Your Own Sweet Way and Whisper Not before David Carnegie returned to the stage - on piano.
The number was a blues in F - Blues For Duane.
David took the Freddie Hubbard tune to the cleaners. I can honestly say that this was the best blues piano solo by a drummer I've ever heard unless Harley Johnson's a drummer.
Lance

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