Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 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

18721 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 585 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 18) 49

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

July

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Bright Street Big Band @ Sandhaven Amphitheatre, South Shields. 3.30-5.30pm.
Sun 26: Jo Harrop & Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.
Sun 26: King Bees @ Luckies, Jesmond, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: Liam & Shayo @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Liam Oliver (guitar), Shayo Oshodi (vocals).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ Music Dept., Durham University. 9:15pm. A Durham Fringe Festival event

Thu 30: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £6.50.
Thu 30: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes. .

Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Milne Glendinning Band @ Repas 7 by Night, Berwick. 8:00-9:00pm. £6.00. A Berwick Fringe Festival event. £6.00 (£6.00 wristband access to all Fringe events).

August

Sat 01: Jazz Weekend workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 9:30am. £95.00. Tutors: Nel Begley & Paul Edis: Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop. Day 1/2.
Sat 01: Jim Wright’s Rhythm Deluxe @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 01: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Saltburn Bandstand. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Milne Glendinning Band @ Leonard’s Coffee House, Durham. 6:20pm. £7.00. A Durham Fringe Festival. 1/2.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: The Swing Commanders @ The Amphitheatre, Stockton. 9:00-10:30pm. Free. Stockton International Riverside Festival.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Rocket Science and Jambone @ The Sage, Gateshead.

Rocket Science: Josephine Turner (tpt/keys), Josh James (tpt), David Grey (tmb), Charlotte McGinn (alt), Matthew Foster (ten), Chris Brown (bar0, Colm Rooney (pno) Ivan Scutt (bs), Charles Harrison (solos), Robert Griffiths (gtrs), Syd Wright (dms). Jim Birkett (MD).
Jambone: Matthew Spence (gtr), Ivan Scutt (Bs), Sid Wright (Dms) Harley Johnson (Pno/Keys), Christine Clark, Stuart Clarke, Joe Lunec (alt), Loretta Tosson, Oscar Knights (ten), Joe Woods (bar), Jo Turner, Simon Dennis, Jack Courtney, George Burdon, Thomas Hill (tpts), Rob Stroud, Graham Thorpe, Jimmy Ingram, Isaac Harrison-Louth (tmbs). Shaune Eland, Dave Hignett (M.D.)
Rocket Science, led by Jim Birkett, applied big band techniques to contemporary jazz/rock/funk numbers in a set that worked well.
It would be unfair to single out individuals although guest tenor player Matthew Foster was particularly impressive and the ease with which Josephine Turner moved from trumpet soloist to funky keyboard player also ticked the boxes. Later, Jo segued across to Jambone changing her outfit in the process!
However, whether soloing or playing in section these 16/17 year-olds know the score.
Excellent band.
Several of the Rocket Scientists, apart from Ms Turner, made the transition to Jambone - the Sage's Youth Jazz Orchestra - Terrific young drummer Syd Wright, bassist Ivan Scutt amongst them.
With Shaune Eland and Dave Hignett alternating MD duties the band played numbers from NYJO, Buddy Rich, Stan Kenton and others.
Caravan - taken from a version by The Airmen of Note - saw some fine blowing by Loretta. That girl never fails to impress me. She's on her way to study at Leeds so who knows how she will emerge from that prime seat of musical knowledge. The whole arrangement was one of complexity and imagination and they handled it without missing a beat. Great solos all round.
On Buddy's Basically Blues Harley had an extended introduction that launched the rest into orbit.
The final piece from the Kenton pad was Live and Let Die featuring a band within a band as an additional front line! - it worked wonderfully.
I had to miss the encore as Whitley Bay beckoned but I couldn't help wondering about the band's future with so many of them moving on to more verdant musical pastures - in theory at any rate! Then I remembered the set by Rocket Science and relaxed in the knowledge that there was talent a plenty waiting in the wings.
Lance.

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