Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

June

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: 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 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Sat 27: OUTRI @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £13.01. 1:00-1:45pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Richardson & Westgarth Sport & Social Club, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. Note change of venue.
Sat 27: House of the Black Gardenia + Magpies of Swing @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 2:15-3:15pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 3:45-4:45pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Rory Ingham @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 5:30-6:30pm. £19.51. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Ingham w. Dean Stockdale, Ian Paterson, Dave McKeague.
Sat 27: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 27: Laura Jurd @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £26.00. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Sat 27: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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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