Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

From This Moment On

June

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest TBC.
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Jon Cleary & The Dirty Dozen Brass Band @ The Sage. July 25th

Jon Cleary (piano & vocals), James Singleton (double bass) & Doug Belote (drums). British born Jon Cleary hadn't appeared on Tyneside for quite some time and this Gateshead date, the closing event of this year's Summer Tyne Americana Festival, with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band seemed like a good opportunity to hear him in such exalted company.
Cleary, a crowd pleaser, pounded out good-time rhythm and blues from his electronic keyboard with rock solid support from bassist Singleton and drummer Belote.
New Orleans' finest, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, themselves visiting Tyneside for the first time in years, certainly know how to put on a show. The current line-up - Julius McKee (sousaphone), Terence Higgins (drums), Roger Lewis (baritone saxophone), Kevin Harris (tenor saxophone), Gregory Davis (trumpet), Efrem Towne (trumpet) & Jake Eckert (guitar) + Jon Cleary (piano & vocals) - had everyone, well almost everyone, up on their feet from the first number. Everyone, well, almost everyone, appeared to be 'havin' a good time'. You know how it works - a member of the band enquires ' Are you havin' a good time, Newcastle?' 'Yeah' says the crowd. Then, just to make sure... 'Are you havin' a good time, Newcastle? 'Yeah' says the crowd. And so it went on. Of course we were in Gateshead but why spoil the fun?
Fun? It was of the compulsory kind, if you know what I mean. Those expecting the likes of John the Revelator, Just a Closer Walk With Thee and Jesus on the Mainline would have left disappointed. It was party time in Newcastle or was it Gateshead or was it...?
Who cares?
The support gig down on the Concourse featured Graham Hardy's Horn Dogs. I arrived just in time to see the band pack away their gear (I'd been to the Remembering Chris memorial concert - see Lance's review). So, not having heard the performance, I perhaps shouldn't comment. However, take it from me, it was great. Don't believe me? Then go hear them next time. Next time is on Sunday 1st August at the Georgian Theatre in Stockton when the band takes part in the annual Jazz Action Milestones Fringe Festival. It is a marathon event running from 12 noon 'til 9:00 pm. Horn Dogs will be prowling the stage at 4:00 pm. Free admission - what more could you want?
Russell.
The above photo is of Horn Dogs and was sent by John Taylor. The band included deps Phil Rutherford and Graeme Wilson. Wilson and Graham Hardy had themselves been playing at the Remembering Chris concert.
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