Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

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

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Ruthie Henshall and The Sound of Hollywood @ The Sage, Gateshead.

A tremendous show that was thoroughly enjoyed by the three tier packed Hall One.
Ruthie Henshall is a West End legend and her tribute to the stars of those great Hollywood movies was done both brilliantly and sincerely. Close your eyes and you're listening to Streisand, Merman, Garland, Andrews yet still getting one hundred percent Henshall.
Ruthie looked good in a red gown for the first set and a slinky, figure hugging, off the shoulder, sequined topped black dress with a tantalising split up the side in the second. Keeping the star on her toes were four great singers/dancers whose names I omitted to jot down but their choreography, harmony and feature numbers were the epitome of class.
Behind it all the Manchester Concert Orchestra under Richard Balcombe handled the complex scores with apparent ease. Below is the gist of the material which also included The Aitchison, Topeko and the Sante Fe, Get Happy, We're A Couple of Swells, and Over The Rainbow - done as an encore and with great sensitivity. Surprisingly, the show stopper of the first set was The Rhythm of Life from Sweet Charity with the five singers producing a contrapuntal almost Bach-like fugue effect.

There's No Business Like Show Business (overture) - Annie Get Your Gun. Everything's Coming up Roses - Gypsy. I Get a Kick Out of You, Anything Goes, You're The Top - Anything Goes Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better - Annie Get Your Gun The Carioca - Flying Down to Rio (instrumental) Hello Dolly - Hello Dolly I'm the Greatest Star, People, Don't Rain on my Parade - Funny Girl The Man That Got Away - A Star is Born The Trolley Song, The Boy Next Door - Meet me in St Louis Good mornin' - Singin' in the rain Willkommen - Cabaret Thoroughly Modern Millie - Thoroughly Modern Millie Wouldn't it be Lovely - My Fair Lady

Excellent!

Lance.

1 comment :

Liz said...

A real trouper this lass, I think "Sweet Charity" is underrated..."If they could see me now" is a great number, but then with such a wealth of Gas-book to choose from how can you go wrong!
Liz

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