Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Steadman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Quadruple Dead Heat @ The Bridge

Ruth Lambert, Zoe Gilby, Lindsay Hannon, Claire Kelly (vcl), Stu Collingwood (pno), Andy Champion (bs), David Francis (dms).
This was indeed a night to remember - three of the area's top singers and an outsider who almost pipped them on the line!
No it wasn't possible to separate them. Each girl has her own sound, her own style and each were totally amazing in their choice of material.
Zoe kicked things off with an original Bell House Hotel - brilliant lyric, then there was The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines - a memorable track from Joni Mitchell's Mingus album. I don't think I've heard Zoe sing better - she was up for it.
Follow that must have ran through every one's minds as Claire Kelly took to the stage - the sacrificial lamb to the slaughter.
This time round it was the lamb who slayed the butcher!
Whisper Not set the stall out - Claire was in the game. How many singers do you know who will attempt Gloomy Sunday? Who will do an uppish Pagan Love Song? - inspired by Jo Stafford, said Claire. The girl is too young to have even heard of Jo Stafford!
Interval time and a look around reveals a very well attended gig. Lot's of friends old and new and a few special ones.
Third set: Lindsay Hannon takes centre stage. Lindsay keeps the bar at the highest level particularly on The End of a Love Affair. But there are others, each one a gem, that somehow slipped through my subconscious. Down With Love didn't though - it jumped - Yip Harburg would be happy.
And so it was down to Ruth to draw things to a close which she duly did even playing some guitar chords along the way.
This had been a splendid evening. Apart from the girls, Stu Collingwood was an absolute monster on piano - Stu Rules OK? Ditto Andy on bass whilst Dave, although not featured prominently, did everything that was asked.
It was brilliant I cannot say more.
Lance.
Next week Djangology replace the advertised Carpus Trio.

1 comment :

Liz said...

I read that Gloomy Sunday, (Billie sang it I think) was supposedly tried to be banned some years ago, I think from the BBC, but I may be wrong. I heard Billie singing one of Hoagy's finest yesterday, "I get along without you very well"
none finer
Liz

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