Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

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: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
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.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00. Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 13: Joe Steels @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 13: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Fri 13: Tom Remon & John Moriarty @ The Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, Sunderland SR1 3QJ. 7:00pm. £10.00 + £1.00 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, June 30, 2010

Schmazz @ The Cluny: More on Troyka & Corey Mwamba Trio. Tuesday 29th June.

Troyka: Chris Montague (guitar), Kit Downes (organ) & Joshua Blackmore (drums)
Troyka, the current big noise on the contemporary jazz scene, arrived in the Ouseburn Delta to be greeted by an enthusiastic and sizeable crowd on another sweltering evening in Newcastle. Local lad Chris Montague has the right credentials to be a top-flight left-field guitarist: he hails from Gateshead and his name is Chris. Seemingly the Borough of Gateshead breeds such wizards of the fretboard - Chris (trio VD, Acoustic Ladyland, Spelk) Sharkey being another. It is an indication of Montague's standing that he can call upon in-demand players such as Downes and Blackmore to play material largely his own. The material was wide-ranging: delicate sketches, drum 'n' bass workouts and a magical blues number entitled Crawler. The latter number, to feature on the band's soon to be recorded second CD, demonstrated Montague's prodigious technique allied to exquisite touch and a real feeling for a blues.
Corey Mwamba Trio: Corey Mwamba (vibraphone), Dave Kane (double bass) & Joshua Blackmore (drums)
Corey Mwamba is, apparently, a self-taught vibes player. Having witnessed his playing it is hard to believe that he could play as he did - that of a virtuoso. Mwamba was joined for this, his first performance on Tyneside, by bassist Dave Kane and drummer Joshua Blackmore - both well known to north east audiences. Yes, Blackmore was on double-time having played the first set with Troyka. This set had an acoustic feel - on occasion Double Time Blackmore used brushes and hurried thing along with some double-time passages. Kane bowed (and scraped!), then slapped, then from time to time took a line for a walk. Mwamba played with two, then four, then six mallets - impressive stuff, lyrical and swinging. Those readers who know of Jim Hart's vibes playing will surely be impressed on hearing Corey Mwamba.
Corey Mwamba makes a quick return to the Ouseburn appearing with Alexander Hawkins at the Cumberland Arms (across the Ouseburn and up the hill) on Friday 9th July.
Russell.

No comments :

Blog Archive