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

18122 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1086 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Dec. 31), 100

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 07: FILM: Blue Moon @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Dir. Richard Linklater’s biopic of Lorenz Hart.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 08: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones of 1976.

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.

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, December 22, 2010

Melody Maker Update

I've been perusing at length Colin Aitchison's on-line collection of vintage Melody Makers from the 40's and 50's when the MM really was the musician's bible - a bit like Bebop Spoken Here today (I wish!). So far Colin has posted the following complete issues - including the small ads - (lead story cited): 15/3/41 - Ken 'Snakehips' Johnson killed in the blitz. 26/4/41 - Al Bowlly killed in the blitz. 11/4/42 - Death of Charlie Christian. 11/7/42 - Death of Bunny Berigan. 21/8/43 - Tommy Dorsey sacks his whole band plus, inside, Gene Krupa jailed on drug offences. 3/1/53 - Fletcher Henderson dies. 23/5/53 - Death of Django. 2/1/54 - Rosemary Clooney to broadcast with the BBC Showband. This is a trip down memory lane for those of a certain age and a history lesson for younger readers. Look out for more. Lance. PS: Some pages didn't enlarge for me.
at

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

The MMs from the 40s & 50s are great. Fascinating to read the contemporary report of Django's death.
Any chance that the MM editions from the 60s will also go on-line?

JC

Thursday, December 23, 2010 12:46:00 pm
Lance said...

That is up to Colin although I would guess that it is unlikely as the jazz content began to be filtered out with the advent of rock and roll - unfortunately.

Thursday, December 23, 2010 1:24:00 pm
Anonymous said...

Hi Guys,
Thanks for your comments, I hope this is on going, but these old Melody Makers are hard to come by, I will also add some Newspapers like the Jazz News from the 50's, I also have one MM from the 60's, but Lance you are right the tide is starting to change.
Enlargements, for some strange reason some pages will not enlarge, so I will re-scan after Christmas...
Colin

Friday, December 24, 2010 2:36:00 am

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