Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (DownBeat May, 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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Monday, February 28, 2011

Alex Welsh photo details wanted.

Alan Rudd sent me this photo of the Alex Welsh Band taken, he thinks in the early '70s, at a local (north east) venue. Alan isn't sure of the complete line-up and would like some help as to trombone, banjo, date and location. Trombone - ? Bass - Harvey Weston Cornet - Alex Welsh Drums - Lennie Hastings Saxes - Al Gay ? Banjo - ? Piano - Fred Hunt. Can anyone help? Lance.

10 comments :

Lance said...

The vibes down front indicate that it might be Roger Nobes on drums.

John T said...

The unmistakable Jim Douglas is the banjo/gtr.
Trombone the late, great Campbell Burnap.

Roly said...

I heard a great Welsh concert at The County, opposite Central Station. Not sure of date - late
70s or early 80s maybe. It included Roy Williams, John Barnes, Fred Hunt, Jim Douglas.
A wonderful band and the stuff of British jazz legend.
Those Welsh/Hunt duets were sublime.
The late Randolph Heads was a big fan and knew them all, had all the albums etc.
There was the story of the band going into BBC through security and a security guard asking who they were. It's the Alex Welsh Band said an indignant Alex - oh I need some ID Mr Welshband said the guard.
Roly

Ann Alex said...

Roly, from Ann Alex
I'm at home laughing out loud at your story. It's 11.20 at night and I think the neighbours will apply to have me sectioned shortly!

carstairs said...

OOyah! OOyah! It's not Lennie on the drums. Roger Nobes
Campbell on tromb; Jim Douglas g; Al Gay Tenor; Alex playing a King MASTER cornet - maybe the one Wild Bill gave him?
I used to go to the Fishmonger's Arms in Wood Green on Sunday Nights in the days when Roy Crimmins played trombone. Great player but when Roy Williams took over ........

Ken said...

I think that this picture was taken in the late 70's or early 80's during the last years of the Welsh Band - the line up is Campbell Burnap (trombone), Jim Douglas (guitar), Alex, Roger Nobes(drums), Al Gay (saxes/clarinet), Pete Skivington (bass guitar) and Fred Hunt (piano).

terry said...

obviousley Alex on cornet,Jim Douglas on guitar and wthout a doubt the great Al Gay on sax and clarinet.Can anyone tell me the wherabouts of Al,we were friends with him for some years but lost contact,just sending christmas cards,this year the post office returned my new years card that I sent him marked gone away.My greatest fears are that he is no longer with us.Does anyone know?
Terry

Lionel Leighton said...

I would also like to know the wherabouts of Al Gay. He's my cousin and I haven't been in contact since I spoke to him on the phone when my mother died (his aunt Lilian)in 1979. The last I knew he was in Flitwick nr. Luton Befordshire. Al Gay wasn't his birth name. It was Albert Goldstein.

Lionel Leighton

Anonymous said...

!FISHMONGERS c1960...BIG AL...but wasnt alex a tuesday man...along with alternatives sandy brown and bruce turner...great club...shame ken colyer wasnt a regular...enter tottenham jazz club...mike cotton...good then...

Wayne1963 said...

Can anyone tell the reason, or meaning behind the shouts of "OOyah! OOyah!" (If there is one)

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