Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ YOLO, Ponteland. 7:00pm. ‘Swing & Jazz Night’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 18: Joe Steels & Friends @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:30pm. Free (donations).

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! .
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

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

Friday, December 31, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR

As we approach the year end I'd like to take this opportunity of thanking all those who have helped us to knock up 100,616 page views (with 4 hours to go) this year.
So thank you Russell, Bill, Ann, Liz, Jerry, Roly, Colin, Brian B, Adrian, George, Sarah R, Miles, Tommy Henderson, Maurice Summerfield, Hil, LondonJazz, Ashington Jazz Club, and other contributers and advocates.
And to those who have yet to comment please throw away your inhibitions and make it one of your New Year's Resolutions for 2011 to let us have your thoughts.
To ALL JAZZ PEOPLE - FANS and MUSICIANS - A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Lance
PS: Apologies if I've overlooked anyone.

8 comments :

Roly said...

Thanks and all the best Lance.
Congratulations on what was a great idea in the first place and for bringing it to where it is now. Fantastic.
Roly

The LondonJazz site said...

Congrats and best wishes for '11Lance. You set the standard for the rest of us!

Robert Laing said...

Well done on the blog Lance, and all the best for the forthcoming year. I would also like to thank you for the recommended reading material for Xmas that you suggested to my other/better half. She duly followed your advice and it has been invaluable and interesting reading while I have been recovering from swine flu over the last week or so. Thanks again.

Liz said...

All the best Lance, you know my sentiments, you do have one helluva site here...well done & power to your elbow in the coming year
Liz

Ann Alex said...

Lance, Thanks for the appreciation, I enjoy the writing I do for the blog. Perhaps by next year the blog will be internationally famous, or is it already?

Lance said...

Well Ann, Ned Kelly's Last Stand in Hong Kong isn't exactly Tyne and Wear and nor is New Jersey or New York. We also have links with sites in Sweden and Switzerland as well as a couple of ex-pats in Brittany so I guess we are internationally known if not quite famous.

. said...

Very miserably down with a chest infection, I cheered myself up to come on here for my daily feed. I wish you a very healthy and very interesting new year for your writing implement, Labour o' love Lance, Sarah.

Lance said...

Sarah, I've just returned early from the Jazz Café for the very same reason. I too am chestified and taking doses of Well's Bombadier to combat it.
There seems to be a bug going round - that easy excuse people roll out for any ailment!

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