Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 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

18699 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 573 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 11) 27

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

July

Tue 14: Vieux Carre Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £15.00 (reservations: 0191 237 3697). ‘July Jazz Barbecue!’
Tue 14: Crook Little Brass Bash @ Crook Community Centre. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Tue 14: Barnard Castle Little Brass Bash @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Tue 14: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Tickets from Tully’s, Rothbury. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Tue 14: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Willington Big Brass Bash @ Town Park, Willington. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Wed 15: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Café Needle’s Eye, Promenade, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea NE64 6XE. 6:00pm. Free. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 15: Side Café Orkestar @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.00 (£11.00. adv.); £12.00 concs (£8.00. concs adv.).

Thu 16: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 16: Spennymoor Big Brash Bash @ Jubilee Park, Spennymoor. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Thu 16: Coxhoe Little Brass Bash @ Village Green (Pit Wheel). 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Thu 16: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Lollo Rosso, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Free. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Thu 16: Stevie Jay Duo @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Julija Jacenaite & Steve Glendinning.
Thu 16: DK Harrell @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf. USA blues.
Thu 16: 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 17: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 17: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 17: Seaham Big Brass Bash @ Terrace Green, Seaham. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Fri 17: Newton Aycliffe Big Brass Bash @ Town Park, Newton Aycliffe. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Fri 17: Ray Stubbs R&B Allstars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 17: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm.
Fri 17: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Repas 7 by Night, Berwick. 8:00pm. Free. Lollo Rosso, Morpeth. 8:00pm. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.

Sat 18: Streets of Brass @ Market Place, Durham City. 10:00am-4:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Sat 18: Brass Boat Cruise @ Boathouse, Elvet Bridge Jetty, Durham City. Departures at 10:30am, 12 noon, 1:30pm, 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £5.00 (all prices + bf). Durham Brass Festival. Various bands.
Sat 18: Party in the Park @ Wharton Park, Durham City. 5:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands. Entrance o/s Durham Railway Station (Northbound platform).
Sat 18: Zoë Gilby & Dean Stockdale @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm.
Sat 18: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00.
Sat 18: Tyne Valley Big Band + Revolutionaires @ Pelton Community Centre. 7:00pm. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sat 18: Dale Storr @ The Straw Yard, The Barracks, Berwick. 7:30pm. £15.38. Solo piano.
Sat 18: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Red Lion Inn, Alnmouth. 8:30pm. Free. Lollo Rosso, Morpeth. 8:00pm. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.

Sun 19: Brass Boat Cruise @ Boathouse, Elvet Bridge Jetty, Durham City. Departures at 10:30am, 12 noon, 1:30pm, 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £5.00 (all prices + bf). Durham Brass Festival. Various bands.
Sun 19: Jacob Egglestone Trio @ The Bandstand, The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free.
Sun 19: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bishop Auckland Town hall. 2:00pm. £7.00 (inc. bf). A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sun 19: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 19: Michael Young Trio @ Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 19: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 19: SwanNek @ The Bandstand, The Sele, Hexham. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Twelve 06, High St., Newbiggin-by-the-Sea NE64 6DR. 3:00pm. Free. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sun 19: Dale Storr: The Sounds of New Orleans @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Solo piano. POSTPONED!

Mon 20: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 20: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Saturday, February 06, 2010

R.I.P. SIR JOHN DANKWORTH

To say I'm shocked and saddened at hearing of the death of Johnny Dankworth is an understatement.
His music and I go back a long way and, even now, 60 years later, I have to be honest and admit that I've still not got around to thinking of him as Sir John or even plain and simple John. To me, and just about every modern jazz fan of a certain age, he will always be Johnny Dankworth.
In the 1950s the Johnny Dankworth Seven were frequent visitors to Newcastle and I recall seeing the band many times at the Odeon Cinema - in those days live music was allowed on a Sunday but the latest films weren't so the Odeon and the Essoldo featured Band Shows by all the top bands of the day.
The Seven also appeared at the City Hall and, believe it or not, the Memorial Hall (The Mem) in Wallsend.
The Dankworth Seven would be high on any list I drew up of the best British bands.
When the small group folded Johnny introduced the first of his many big bands. I seem to recall his was the first band where each section wore different, very bright, coloured jackets.
Although he was a forward thinker the Dankworth bands always swung and bore comparison with any band anywhere.
Other memories I recall were of a Festival Hall concert with the London Philharmonic Orchestra where he, and the band, performed a work by himself and Mattius Seiber 'Improvisations For Jazz Band & Symphony Orchestra'.
Another time at the Festival Hall the band backed the phenomenal trumpet player Maynard Ferguson whilst back in Newcastle he did the business at the City Hall behind Anita O'Day.
In the 1980s he fronted a quintet for a Channel 4 broadcast that included son Alec on bass. This was recorded at Newcastle University Theatre and was split with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.
There were other concerts I attended although, unfortunately, I missed his last appearance at the Sage Gateshead Jazz Festival 2 years ago.
He was one of those people, like Ronnie Scott and Humph, who you think will be with us for ever but although he's gone the music will live on. I'm already reaching for some vinyl of those Esquire tracks by the Seven.
Sincere condolences to Dame Cleo, Jacqui and Alec Dankworth.
Lance.
Sir John Dankworth died today (Feb 6) in hospital aged 82.
at

6 comments :

Liz said...

How sad, my special memory of John was when we went to their home Wavendon & to their theatre in the grounds, called the Stables. It was a Sondheim special & he & Cleo were hosting it. What a place that is! Of course I too remember the band shows (as we called them) on Sunday nights at the Rialto, York, owned & run by Jack Prendergast father of Barry, aka John Barry
Liz

Saturday, February 06, 2010 11:12:00 pm
Lance said...

What is even more poignant Liz is that tonight was the 40th anniversary of the Stables and a special concert was arranged for this evening.
I don't know if it went ahead.

Saturday, February 06, 2010 11:15:00 pm
Russell said...

Hi Lance

Like Liz I visited Wavendon (very nice too - quite a set-up!) and heard Dankworth play alongside the likes of Barney Kessel and 'Lockjaw Davis' with support from Allan Ganley, Dave Green and on one occasion a young Alec Dankworth. Closer to home, in fact just up the road, I too, like Lance, heard Dankworth in an amazing double bill with Blakey's Messengers. It was in the Gulbenkian Studio at the back of the then University Theatre.

Russell

Sunday, February 07, 2010 2:44:00 pm
Russell said...

Hi Lance

The Dankworth's website - www.quarternotes.com - has published a press release. Click on Tour Info then click on The Stables 40th Anniversary Celebrations.

Russell

Sunday, February 07, 2010 3:00:00 pm
Laurie Brown said...

John was also a good bass player!I played the Cindy-ella show at the New Arts Theatre in London. It was a black take off of Cinderella with Cleo Laine Cy Grant Liz Welch and Gearge Browne (1963 wow!!)
Looking around for some reason I saw John Gunn our bassist sitting
in the front row he should have been standing behind me instead there was John Dankworth happily
plucking away unknown by the band!

Tuesday, February 09, 2010 8:18:00 pm
Lance said...

My favourite Dankworth story goes back to the 1960s when he was charged with speeding.
Sir John's defence was that he couldn't have been speeding as the engine was running in the key of Ab which told him he was in third gear doing about 30 mph.
He was found guilty and fined £10.
So I suppose his defence was a less than perfect pitch.

Saturday, February 13, 2010 12:37:00 pm

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