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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 2025).

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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:15pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall, Stocksfield. 1:30pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm.
Sat 24: Dean Stockdale Quartet + Mingus Sings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums) + Mingus Sings: Sara Oschlag (vocals); Alan Barnes (reeds); Tim Lapthorn (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); Clark Tracey (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sat 24: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 24: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sat 24: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 24: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 25: Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion: Bandstand Sessions @ The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free. A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Spanish City Plaza (outdoor stage). 1:00pm. Free. A Whitley Bay Carnival event.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Catriona Bourne Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Bourne (harp), Francis Tulip (guitar), James Owston (double bass), Joe Bainbridge (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Struggle Buggy @ The Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 25: Joe Steels Group + Norma Winstone (vocals); Nikki Iles (piano); Mike Walker (guitar); Steve Watts (double bass). 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Steels (guitar); Ferg Kilsby (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Susans (double bass); John Hirst (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 25: Xhosa Cole/Neil Charles/Mark Sanders @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A JNE promotion. Note: Xhosa Cole replaces Nicole Mitchell.

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, August 18, 2010

Billy Harper on Jacky Denton

So desperately sad to hear of the death of one of my oldest & respected colleagues, a fellow Francophile who spent all his holidays in France in his caravan which was permanently garaged in France during the winter. Before Anne & I left for France, we talked about the possibility of him & his wife Margaret dropping in to visit us "en-route" but this proved to be almost impossible because of the distances involved & sadly we never caught up with each other. I first worked with Jack in 1957 whilst I was doing my National Service in the RAF. I was posted to Acklington which allowed me to do gigs in Newcastle & I took the piano chair in the reformed Mighty Joe Young Band -- Jack was the drummer & the others were Hughie Aitchison ,Brian Clarke, Trevor Johnson, Ronnie Maclean, Brian Fisher & Joe himself.
Jack had something that can't be taught -- a natural driving swing that kicked the band along beautifully (just reminding myself that Joe & myself are the only surviving members) .Jack didn't stay long as he was called for National Service & was replaced by Ian Forbes. Having done his 2 years in the Army, he reclaimed his drum chair in the band & stayed for some time until he joined forces with Mike Carr & John McLoughlan for a season at Ronnie Scott's in London where he was highly thought of by the top guys. But he told me that he was unhappy about the drug scene down there & was not prepared to settlewith his family & eventually he returned to Gateshead. At this point I had left the Mighty Joe Young Band and formed a trio with Jack & Brian Fisher at the Five Bridges Hotel which eventually folded. Although I was by now heavily involved in commercial music (10 years in the Mayfair Ballroom) & Jack had serious medical problems, we still managed to do the odd gig together from time to time & in 1998/9 we had a great time (musically!!!!) in the Jazz Cafe with Jack, Roly Veitch & Ian Heslop. I gave Jack "free rein" & he proved what I had always known -- his drumming had lost nothing over the years. From 1999 to 2004 my trio was employed ay the Bude Jazz Fest. in Cornwell as the House band for the week,supporting the "bigboys" from Town & in 2004 my normal drummer Nigel Cretney from Buxton, was taken seriously ill at the last minute & a dep was urgently required. My first call was Jack & without knowing what the money was like, he immediately agreed to do the gigs. We travelled together to Bude & shared an appartment close to the venues & had an absolute ball. Jack played out of his skull! Our first gig was with Alan Barnes with whom I have worked with many times & who does not "take prisoners". At the end of the first number Alan came up to me, with a huge smile on his face & said "Wow! Where have you been hiding this guy?" Mark Nightingale gave an almost identical response & several of the older musicians remembered him from his short stay in London. I overheard conversations at other gigs people suggesting to their friends that they must go & see this great drummer with the trio. In fact Jack was the star of the week & deservedly so. Many people who didn't know him very well thought that he was a noisy, insensitive, rough diamond but nothing could be further from the truth. Underneath that brash exterior was a nice man who didn't tolerate fools gladly but was warm & thoughtful with a lovely sense of humour--- I am proud to have known him as a friend & colleague -- he will be greatly missed. Bill Harper p.s. Jack made great bread!
Photo was supplied by Peter Sanderson.

4 comments :

John T said...

Sad day - JD has joined all the other greats in the jazz drumshop in the sky

Jack's granddaughter: This was the message she left on his facebook page:- "rest in peace uncel jacky miss you lots.
look after little gran up in heaven. dont forget to look down on us. love you ♥
xxxxxx

Unknown said...

jacky denton was my uncle the little girl on facebook is my daughter, Well what can i say about Jacky? they certainly broke the mould when they made him, I was privilieged not only to know this wonderfull man but to also have his blood running through my veins, I have told the younger children in the family that when they hear the thunder its uncle jacky playing his drums in heaven. Thankyou to everyone for such wonderfull tributes, We are so very proud of him and he did make cracking bread xxxx

barbaradenton. said...

Jacky was my brother. Thanx to everyone for tributes. He was the best and was my first idol. He was thrilled when the Muppet show drummer was called 'Animal' as he'd always said all proper drummers were animals. His love of technology, gadgets and gizmos is another of his quirks and he despaired of me. He was forever trying to enlighten me.Miss u 4ever pet.

Sophie said...

well its sophie.i just would like to say that my uncle was the best ever drummer in the north east.rest in peace JD its been a sad month lost but not forgotten.love you always,sophie ♥
xxxxxxxx.

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