Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18767 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 631 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 31) 95.

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

August

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 06: Wild Women of Wylam @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guest Zoë Gilby.
Thu 06: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 06: Bridget Metcalfe Sextet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 08: ???

Sun 09: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Ropner Park, Stockton. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: The Gambling Janes @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 10: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.Free.

Tue 11: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free.

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Farewell Blues for Jazz @ The Exchange

Hi Lance: this month's concert at the Saville Exchange will be the last in the series. After eight years of trying to present outstanding jazz musicians from Europe, the UK and the USA, a number of factors have made me decide to call it a day as far as this really nice venue is concerned. Hire costs are set to rise by around 25% as North Tyneside Council struggle to balance their books, there's no Arts Council grant any more, audiences have declined and with the impact of the dread "cuts" yet to be felt, the future looks no rosier.
Our reserves vanished when the Whitley Bay Playhouse went into receivership a few years ago, owing us £3,400 in box office receipts, so we have no cash cushion to fall back on. The alternative would be to cut right back on costs by virtually eliminating overseas outfits or the professional UK bands (Keith Nichols' Blue Devils, for instance), but I'm really not interested in putting on music that duplicates what fans can already hear in their local pubs and clubs for a lot less than I have to charge - just to cover room hire and PRs amounts to around £330 for an evening, before I can even think of paying the band.
So, the Friday 10th December concert will be my last at the Saville Exchange, and I hope we will have a really good turnout to ensure that Jazz @ The Exchange goes out with a bang, not a whimper; with three top local bands in one evening (Vieux Carré, West Jesmond Rhythm Kings, Rae Brothers) all at our normal admission price, it's certainly good value for money!
On a more positive note, I shall be continuing to book bands for the monthly Trinity Jazz programme in Gosforth, and am also in discussions with the Customs House regarding a monthly traditional/mainstream jazz series in 2011, following the successful experiment there with six jazz concerts in the last year; what's more, the Classic jazz party is all set for November 4th-6th 2011 at the Village Hotel - our revamped website http://www.whitleybayjazzfest.org/ goes online this weekend.
Mike Durham.
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive