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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 2025).

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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Friday, May 07, 2010

Bobby Carr Info wanted.

A request for info on the late trumpet player Bobby Carr comes from Steve Grant and Bobby's son James.
Photos, memories anything that will be of interest.
Reply via this post or direct to myself.
Lance.
at

8 comments :

Lance said...

I'm surprised I haven't had a wadge of people replying to this post. Indeed I'm disappointed as Bobby Carr was a larger than life trumpet legend and a pivotal figure on the north-east jazz, dance band, club scene for many years.
My connection with Bobby Carr was when we were both part of the Newcastle Big Band's legendary Sunday morning sessions at Newcastle's then University Theatre.
With Mike Gilby and Alf Parker blowing alongside him they made a formidable brass team and his feature on 'I Remember Clifford' lingers still.
He also did a Working Men's Club act. Holding his trumpet up so the audience could see it he would say - "This is a trumpet. You'll be surprised to note that there are no wires attached and it doesn't plug into an amplifier. What you see is what you get."
Bobby would then recreate solos by some of the greats - Louis Armstrong, Harry James, Bunny Berigan etc.
He was, I believe, married into the Vaux brewing dynasty. I recall handing him a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale which of course was brewed by Scottish and Newcastle .
"Do you want to get me divorced?" He asked.
There must be many more stories out there. Dig down into the Windmills of your mind.

Saturday, May 08, 2010 8:39:00 pm
stevegrantleeuk said...

Lance,
Thank you for your reply and recollection of Bobby Carr. As I said I knew him through his son James who I went to school with. I also knew him as a friend of my Grandfather who was very active also on the working mens club scene. His name was Freddie Miller and as well as working as a singer and comedian he ran a club booking agency in North Shields called Wandafield. I am sure some of your readers will have worked with him either on the club scene or at the old Hofbrahaus in Newcastle where he was compere for some time.
He too sadly is no longer with us having passed away in 1982.
Ref the brewery connection with Bobby Carr, I am not sure why he would have objected to the Newcastle Brown as it was actually S and N that he was married into! His father in law was Colonel George Brown who was a leading light in S and N at the time.
Hopefully some more readers will pass some more comments. I am afraid I am too young to remember him on a musical level but can certainly remember him as the larger than life figure you mention.
Many thanks
Steve

Sunday, May 09, 2010 12:02:00 am
Lance said...

Whoops! I got the breweries the wrong way round! Substitute Double Maxim for Brown Ale
I remember him at the Hoffbrau House - think George Laing was in that band - come in George.
I seem to recall the band wearing Leiden-hose - now someone must have a photo of that!

Sunday, May 09, 2010 6:35:00 am
Steve Andrews said...

I knew and played, occasionally, with Bobby, who was a nice man, and a hell of a bebop trumpet player - streets ahead of anyone else around here at that time. Here's a story I got secondhand from the late Brian Fisher.
Bobby played pro, in his youth, for tenor player Johnny Gray's band in London. They were rehearsing a new number, and Johnny gave the trumpet solo to Bobby. Bobby gave it his all; pulled out all the stops. After the first run through, Johnny called it again, then stopped the band after the trumpet solo and said to Bobby: "Bobby, son, less of the ooblee!"
Happily Bobby ignored that advice, and kept ooblee -ing for years to come.

Sunday, May 09, 2010 9:51:00 pm
Roly said...

My memories of Bobby are from Peter Gascoigne's Vieux Carre sessions at The Golden Lion at Winlaton Mill in the late 70s.
They were very popular and the room would be packed. Sometimes he would come over and sit in. I particularly remember his 'Bunny Berrigan' styled version of 'I can't get started'. He had a magnificent tone, a natural lyricism and commanding stage presence too. Those cameo appearances of his are part of some really great memories from that time.
Roly

Sunday, May 09, 2010 11:08:00 pm
Anonymous said...

To Steve Grant

I do have more info re Bobby Carr. I knew him well in the mid 50s to 1962. Met him when he was touring with the Platters. Contact Lance for more info.
R

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 1:33:00 pm
Anonymous said...

Hi Lance,
What a wonderful trumpet player Bobby Carr was, once again, Bobby in the hayday of The Wheatsheaf, New york, was a regular, once I asked him what he uses on his valves to keep them going, he opened his case and handed me a can of FLIT (Some sort of fly spray) and of corse in his case always had a bottle or two of Newcastle Brown Ale, like you Lance, I do remember him in the Newcastle Big band playing I Remember Clifford, but also some wild nights at The Hoffbrau House, with a band led by Billy Young (Drums) and Grahame Shephard (Reeds) now living and playing in Spain, can not remember the rest of the band, but fun nights with Bobby and the guys.
Coin Aitchison
(Hong Kong)

Thursday, August 19, 2010 4:28:00 am
Tommy Henderson said...

Hi Lance, I knew Bobby Carr very well and did a few gigs with him. He occasionally brought his trumpet to Greys Club and sat in with my band playing beautiful muted trumpet in the Latin numbers and then he would do one of his special solo numbers while wandering around the customer's tables serenading the ladies.
Wherever he played, in the break, Bobby always ordered two pints for himself.
I also remember him in the Eric Delaney Big Band.
A great guy and a great trumpet player
Regards TOMMY HENDERSON (BASS PLAYER)

Saturday, August 21, 2010 4:42:00 pm

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