Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18429 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 293 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 13 ) 27,

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

April

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 16: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Jewish Musicians/Composers/Vocalists.
Thu 16: Sleep Suppressor + Silk Road + So Anne So @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £10.00., £8.00., £6.00.
Thu 16: Fourpenny Rabbits @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Fri 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 17: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 17: Ben Crosland Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £12.96 (inc. bf) online; £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.

Sat 18: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Swing dance sessions + Bright Street Big Band 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm.
Sat 18: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm. £27.00 (inc. bf).

Sun 19: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Trio + Lara Hopper.
Sun 19: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 19: Straight to Tape @ The Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Edd Carr, Jonathan Proud, John Hirst. Blues trio.
Sun 19: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

Mon 20: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 20: Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

Tue 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval NE25 0AT. Tel: 0191 237 3697. Tickets: £14.00. ‘Pie & Pea Lunch’.
Tue 21: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £29.00., £26.00., £23.00.
Tue 21: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Jack Littlewood (drums).

Monday, July 05, 2010

A visit to the factory. Blue Jazz Voices @ The Sage.

Lindsey Hannon (vcl), Karen Rann (sop), Jeff Smith (alt/ten), Steve (gtr), Dave Parker (bs), Michael Howard (dms) + Andrea, Gaby, Ann Alex and many more vocalists.
There are so many jazz singers emerging - mainly female - that I suspect they outnumber just about every other known species including the blackbird of whom so many divas are keen to say farewell to informally (3-3).
I've long suspected that they are delivered on a conveyor belt clutching a volume of the Great American Songbook and tonight I sourced it
BSH correspondent Ann Alex has waxed lyrical about her jazz vocal classes at The Sage, Gateshead in these very pages so, as they were having an open event, I decided to go along.
Situated in an internal alleyway alongside the Sage café area it has to be said that this particular nook is much more sympathetic to a jazz club atmosphere than just about anywhere else in the building. Apart from interruptions from the tannoy announcing the start of concerts in other halls the ambience here was superb and the acoustics too did the performers favours they don't get on the Concourse.
The 'apprentices' were set a high benchmark by 'Foreman/Supervisor' Lindsey with her version of Angel Eyes. A really sensitive take on the number one saloon song of all time (One For My Baby runs it close.)
With such a teacher it isn't surprising there were a few star pupils - Gaby I knew from The Chilli and she excelled with a brilliant scat chorus on It Don't Mean a Thing.
There were countless versions of Good Morning Heartache but one Andrea edged it by a country mile with just a suggestion of Dinah Washington to her rendition.
However, this isn't the X Factor and I'm not Simon Cowell! They were all great in their enthusiasm and commitment. Our gal Ann scored brownies by breaking away from the balladry with a spirited version of All Of Me.
Needless to say the songs - presumably part of the curriculum - were classic and none better than I'm Thru With Love. Others included Imagination, If I Were A Bell, I Concentrate On You - by one of the few male singers - and What A Difference a Day Made.
Behind them the band did the business with guitarist Steve depping for Caroline Lee. Steve did good - will someone please remind me of his surname? Dave and Michael kept the ship steady. The horns got a good unison sound on Carnival.
No doubt Ann will keep us informed of the future progress of this dedicated and talented group of songsters.
Lance.
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