Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thu 25: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:00pm. ‘All About the Bass Sessions’. Alexia Gardner, Paula Gardner, Jude Murphy.

Fri 26: ???

Sat 27: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 27: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Jason Holcomb & co.

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00., £7.00. adv.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 31: Lil Miss Mary & the Mr Rights Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. ‘Early NYE Bash’. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues.
Wed 31: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. ‘Midnight in Manhattan’ NYE party. £49.46 (inc. bf) & £29.38 (inc. 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, May 12, 2010

Fryer-Barnhart International Jazz Band w. Jimmy Mazzy @ The Saville Exchange, North Shields.

Jeff Barnhart (pno/vcl), Jim Fryer (tmb/tpt/vcl), Jimmy Mazzy (bjo/vcl), Gordon Whitworth (tpt/vcl), George Huxley (clt/sop/Grafton alto), Annie Hawkins (bs), Brian Mellor (bjo/gtr/vcl), Nick Ward (dms).
What can I say? This was fun - Good Time Jazz no less and often more.
Jeff Barnhart is not just larger than life but larger than just about anything! An amazing player and surely the spiritual son of Fats and James P.
Fellow American Jim Fryer blew nice, smooth, trombone a la Urbie Green/Teagarden/Cutty Cutshall. Jim also played trumpet as well as crooning like a true balladeer.
George Huxley, as well as blowing on Bechet's à bientot on soprano and clarinet also played a Grafton Alto Sax. Remember them? A plastic alto! Years ago, I had one that I bought for £25 and sold for £40 - today they sell for a lot of money. George got a good sound.
Gordon's Blue and Broken-hearted was a tribute to Wild Bill Davison - a vocal too. Gave us an idea of how Wild Bill may have sounded had he lived in Solihull
The banjos did the business and Mazzy also sang a few.
Nick Ward on traps was his usual laid back self which just leaves Annie Hawkins.
Always a darling I last heard Annie back in the 1980's in Breda she was a solid sender then - if you'll pardon my outdated jive talk - and still kicks things along.
Enjoyed chatting - her father was also called Lance so we bonded.
A good gig and what a piano player!
Lance.
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3 comments :

Patti said...

Lance - first, thanks for all that you do via the blog to promote jazz across the region. Great writing and photos, and a wide range of jazz styles covered. How do you do it, we often wonder! Thanks again for this gig write up - just a pity that we didn't get a few more bums on seats to enjoy the music! Don't know how much longer we can can go on presenting music of this calibre, unless the fans start turning up again! Patti

Thursday, May 13, 2010 3:08:00 pm
Liz said...

yes Patti we don't know each other but your tribute to Lance's tireless work promoting & reporting on gigs locally & further afield is well deserved.
Liz

Thursday, May 13, 2010 11:56:00 pm
Lance said...

Thank you Liz and Patti but I should also mention, Liz, that Patti and her husband Mike themselves are deserved of many accolades in promoting Jazz at the Saville Exchange and, for the past 20 years, the Whitley Bay Jazz Festival.
Yourself too for supporting this blog the way you do way down south in York.

Friday, May 14, 2010 12:02:00 am

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