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

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

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).

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 26, 2010

Poet Keith Armstrong in Prague back again! Thursday 3. 6. 2010 - 10 PM - The Globe Bookstore, Pštrossova 6, Prague 1 Friday 4. 6. 2010 - 8 PM - Klu

Below is a translation from the Polish sent to me by Dr. Keith Armstrong. Now whilst some might say that this has as much to do with jazz as Michael Bublé has I have included the item because a) Dr Armstrong is an enthusiastic jazzophile and b) he has written/is writing a series of jazz based poems including a long overdue Lestorian epic which is rapidly taking on the mysticism of the Dead Sea Scrolls, The Lindisfarne Gospels and the recipe for Betty's Hotpot combined. Plus with the Polish Jazz Focus @ The Sage imminent it seems the right time to think Polish.
Question for Dr Armstrong - will the reading be in Polish or English?
Lance.

Keith Armstrong, a well known poet from north-eastern English Newcastle, is not performing in Prague for the first time. His somewhat rebellious poetry is inspired by his hometown, which spreads itself where the river Tyne runs into sea. It is full of memories of his father, who worked in a local shipyard, and it is influenced by a nostalgic ambience of mariners’ pubs and industrial harbour corners. But at the same time his poetry doesn’t recalcitrates ticklish or controversial topics (Falklands, politics), reflects on long-time poets, erotic verses or profession to local football legends. Keith is also a poet-traveller. He periodically visits university at Tübingen, Holland and other countries and his ways lead him also to more exotic corners like Cuba or The Soviet Union. In his home town Keith also functions as an organizer of poetic events. He is wreathed by a title Honoris Causa Doctor of Durham University. His poetry is communicatory and his interpretation is easy to understand. The texts in a written form will be also at your disposal.

In the second half of the evening Keith’s friend Jakub Zahradník will play a cycle of songs called "The Melly-Belly Songs" where he especially for this occasion set Keith’s poems to music. Jakub repeatedly visited Newcastle, Durham and coastal district of Northumberland, which is bordering to Scotland and is full of romantic remains. He had an opportunity to perform there, meet local poets and taste all brands of ales. In a song cycle called Five Sea Songs he set to music poems of Northumbrian poetess Katrina Porteous and together with a filmmaker Oliver Malina Morgernstern he created a documentary about his journey called Inspiration Quest, which could be seen on the internet pages YouTube.

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