Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18246 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 100 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 31), 100

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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: 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.

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

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

ACV on 3

Lance.

1 comment :

George M said...

It was such a thrill for jazz in the northeast last night when Jez Nelson, presenter of Jazz on 3, announced Bassist Andy Champion's new band ACV, "based in Newcastle", his closing remarks rightly praising not only ACV but also, the deserving Graeme Wilson for his blasting baritone work on the aptly chosen track, Waking the Sleeper, written by Andy and taken from ACV's first album, Fail in Wood ; Listen again if you missed it - it's really worth it - (See link above) and, if you want to read the track through as you listen, you can take your chances with this paragraph from ACV's Fail in Wood album review:

Waking the Sleeper
Close your eyes and climb into the cockpit of this fast-moving game - this atonal dream; become the Sleeper; plumb each traumatic well of disharmony and dis-chord. You might feel it's trying to trick you awake but don't be fooled; cling on to the bucking-bronco tempos of the night - 3/4, 4/4, 7/8, 7/4, as your Spitfire banks and bumps down a flight of stairs that only a moment ago was the vast soaring London skyline, turning into a monocycle with no saddle - painful! but you're sticking with it, as Graeme Wilson's baritone swaps cannon bursts with Mark's Strat and Paul's Hammond splashes huge Ak-Ak salvos on the bullet-holed curtain of the night, splitting well worn threads like long molecular chains. Some beautiful solo work from the baritone - modal roots moving around in a 'Now you see me' way, while the organ spins its searchlight laser chords this way and that in an effort to keep those bombers in sight. This is an exciting, hardly comfortable Blitz raid where, just when you think you know where Andy's bass is safely leading you, the ME-109's are back; Jez Nelson shakes you as you lie in bed, "Oh thank God Jez - it was only a dream." But then a voice cruelly reminds you, "No my friend - this is the dream!"
George Milburn.

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