Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. 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

Friday, May 07, 2010

Paris(ien) sur Tyne @ Gateshead Old Town Hall - Thursday 6th May

Emile Parisien Quartet: Emile Parisien (soprano saxophone), Julien Tourey (piano), Ivan Gelugne (double bass) & Sylvain Darrifourcq (drums)
French National Jazz Award winners the Emile Parisien Quartet arrived on Tyneside on General Election day. On the Town Hall stage Returning Officer Monsieur Bream, clad in hooped black and white t-shirt and beret with glass of claret in hand, introduced the candidates to an attentive audience.
Would they win our vote?
The quartet opted for a gentle opening number with a repeated motif from Parisien's soprano sax. Pianist Julien Tourey got under the lid of the Yamama to pluck, then hammer, then conjour, fleetingly, Satie. Bassist Ivan Gelugne produced a warm sound and on several occasions bowed effectively. Sylvain Darrifourcq, a la batterie (doesn' t it sound so much better than 'drums'?), proved to be yet another first class player, clattering and banging with in-built swing time - great stuff.
Tunes were played without pause, first and second set. The band's CD/DVD sales went off the scale - all were sold at the interval. At the end of the night there was rapturous applause winning an encore for which the leader literally sat out (sitting on the floor of the stage) content to let his comrades take the honours. The very last note was quite brilliant with pianist Tourney sustaining the sound for what seemed to be an eternity.
Tres bon!
Votes cast, counted, the Emile Parisien Quartet won by a landslide. 'Vive la France!', 'Vive le Jazz!'
Russell

2 comments :

George Milburn said...

Sounds magnifique Russell - pity I missed it but decided to support ACV in Hexham - a sparse turnout unfortunately. Did you get a CD? would love to hear them or maybe chase their tour de force up or down les champs! Bon Fauteuil! Geo M

Russell said...

Hi George

All CDs flew out the door. I'll get one next time.

Russell

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