Bebop Spoken There

Ethan Hawke (starring as Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon): ''Larry [Lorenz] Hart would be so happy that his music and his words and his poetry are still alive.'' - The Northern Echo 27 November 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

18000 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 964 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 24).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sat 06: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 06: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Minor Swing. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 06: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 06: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76 (inc. bf).
Sat 06: Kaberry Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. (inc. hot buffet). ‘Christmas 1945’. Kaberry Big Band, formerly Vermont Big Band.
Sat 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ Platform 1, Bedlington. 7:30pm. £6.00. Rhythm & blues.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. Xmas Party with buffet.
Sat 06: The Jive Aces @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £22.00., £20.00.
Sat 06: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. special guest Donna Hewitt (sax, clarinet).
Sun 07: Finn-Keeble Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Ruth Lambert.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Jason Isaacs Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 5:15pm (4:00pm doors). £21.50 (inc. bf).
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Support set from Play More Jazz! course participants. Note earlier start.

Mon 08: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 09: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm

Wed 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 10: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Mike Lindup Jazz Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £26.50 (inc. bf). Lindup, Yolanda Charles (bass), John Sam (drums).
Wed 10: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00.

Thu 11: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: West Coast (cool ) / Wordsearch (cool) Cool Jazz or ‘Cold’, ‘Cool’, ‘Hot’, ‘Warm’ in the title or lyrics.
Thu 11: George Robinson @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £5.42 (inc. bf). Vienna’s Voice charity evening featuring ’15 year old singing sensation the ‘Redcar Crooner’ George Robinson’. Over 35s only.
Thu 11: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. back tapes.
Thu 11: Ransom Van @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 11: Down for the Count Swing Orchestra @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:30pm. £37.70 (inc. bf). ‘Swing into Xmas’.

Fri 12: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 12: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £15.00. ‘Xmas Soiree’.
Fri 12: A Jazzy Xmas @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax, soprano sax); Matthew Forster (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 12: Tony Hadley: Xmas Big Band Tour 2025 @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Fri 12: Alexia Gardner @ The New Ship Inn, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. 8:00pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy, Abbie Finn.
Fri 12: Jive Aces: Swingin’ Xmas Show @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm.

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, December 28, 2010

Wishes for the New Year

I'd like to take this opportunity of inviting north-east jazz fans to suggest bands/musicians/singers they'd like to see appearing locally in 2011. Send us your wish lists although don't be too ambitious. For starters here's mine: Simon Spillett, Paul Booth, Karen Sharp, Mornington Lockett, Lew Watson, Bobby Wellins (tenors) Ryan Quigley, Bruce Adams (trumpets) Paul Towndrow, Pete King, Nigel Hitchcock, Jason Yarde (altos) Brass Jaw, Gillespiana, NYJO (bands) John Surman (bari) Brian Kellock, Leon Greening, Jason Moran (piano) Martin Taylor,Dave Cliff (guitars) Angie King, Sarah Ellen Hughes, (vocals) These are just a few thoughts but let us have yours and who knows... Lance.
at

16 comments :

Paul said...

Ari Hoenig and John Taylor. Hooked on both at the moment. Happy Christmas, New Year etc.

Paul

Tuesday, December 28, 2010 11:20:00 pm
John T said...

I want to hear/see two bands from the south of our region and if possible book them for Ashington Jazz Club for Spring 2010!


I've not seen Djangology live but the myspace clips sound great http://www.jazzaction.co.uk/djangology.html ( Especially now with a new and more local line up including professor Birkett!!)

The other is Ray Dales with Jeremy McMurry and Co. http://www.raydalesmusic.co.uk/# Samples sound great - a real nice, straight ahead alto sound.
John T

Wednesday, December 29, 2010 6:56:00 am
Debra said...

Kurt Elling. Very disappointed he's not at the Sage after all - he was initially listed in the Jazz Festival
Debra

Wednesday, December 29, 2010 6:58:00 am
Bobbi C said...

20s & 30s style hot jazz at venues with a bit of dancefloor space please!
Bobbi

Wednesday, December 29, 2010 7:47:00 am
Neilsound said...

Jacques loussier, Sonny Rollins, Darius Brubeck,
Happy New Year Lance,
Neil

Wednesday, December 29, 2010 11:54:00 am
. said...

Dear Santa, please may you get me:

Matthew Bourne/Steve Davis/Dave Kane performing their acclaimed album "Lost Something"

Dave O'Higgins' old band "Roadside Picnic"

Andy Sheppard's "Movement in Colour" quintet

Phronesis left out the united state of northeast in their "Alive" album 2011 tour, tschtsch.

Arun Ghosh, but only after he's made a new long awaited album

Keith and Charlie's Jasmine. I'll promise not to cough or clap!

Vijay Iyer

Love the dancefloor suggestion. I ask you when was the last time you bopped to the bop!?

and most of all Carla Bley

Wednesday, December 29, 2010 1:27:00 pm
Liz said...

Laurie Holloway & any combination of his choice musicians to accompany
Liz

Wednesday, December 29, 2010 5:41:00 pm
cptfinch said...

Couple of Americans:
Freddie Cole - saw him earlier in year and would suit the intimate atmosphere of hall 2 at Sage.
Diana Krall - hall 1 at Sage.

Thursday, December 30, 2010 10:21:00 pm
Roly said...

Well - two top players that spring to mind are pianist John Taylor and Louis Stewart.
Maybe they could come as a duo (Evans/Hall style?)
For a one off local combination - I've often said Steve Andrews would be great with a top class 'modern' trio.
So maybe Steve plus Paul Edis Trio playing a pre-planned (even maybe rehearsed) set of tunes.
I bet the music would be good.
All the best for 2011.
Roly

Friday, December 31, 2010 10:00:00 pm
Derrick C said...

The best I can come up with is referring you www.norwichjazzparty. This suggestion reflects personal preferences together with the fact that the performers will be in the UK late April early May. Relevant contact info is also on this website if of interest to you.

Saturday, January 01, 2011 11:54:00 am
Lance said...

Some excellent names there Derrick - Daryl Sherman, Bob Wilber, Ken Peplowski, Scott Hamilton, Marty Grosz, Karen Sharp, Warren Vaché etc...

Saturday, January 01, 2011 11:57:00 am
gillian said...

As for jazz artists, let's start the New Year off in optimistic mood if not in a slightly frivolous mood. I would like, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. I guess that takes care of January. I'm sure that our paths will cross soon because the paths are now free from snow and ice. I'm afraid that I've fallen twice but I'm O.K.
Gillian.

Saturday, January 01, 2011 1:27:00 pm
Lance said...

Gillian - the impossible may take a little while...
In the meantime the closest you're going to get to the names mentioned would be by a visit to Rosie Malone's, South Shields Market Place Thursday afternoons at 2:00pm.

Saturday, January 01, 2011 1:53:00 pm
Wes said...

If I could pick any group it would be the Bryan Spring Trio, I'd like to see return visits from Paul Clarvis, Peter Brotzmann, Han Bennink, Ernst Reijseger, Gunter Baby Sommer, what's the chances of getting Ornette Coleman! Anyone who recorded for the BYG Actuel label that is still alive and kicking would be very exciting and I'd like to see Barry Guy in Newcastle.

Sunday, January 02, 2011 6:43:00 am
Pam Y said...

Just been listening to David Murray with Cassandra Wilson, one can but dream!!

Wednesday, January 05, 2011 1:21:00 pm
Russell said...

Hi Lance

A short list, in no particular order...Lewis Watson, Charles Gayle, James Carter, Mike Walker, Mike Outram, Zoe Rahman, Stan Tracey, Djangologie, Brass Jaw, Northern Brass and many more.

Russell

Wednesday, January 05, 2011 5:18:00 pm

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