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

18532 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 396 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 15) 50

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

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).

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Jordan Jackson @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.80 (inc. bf); £15.40 (inc. bf).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Jazz Classics with Rivkala @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Rivkala (vocals); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Thu 21: 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 22: Paul Skerritt @ Market Place, Durham. From 12 noon. Free. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Fri 22: Paul Edis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00. Edis, Andy Champion, Steve Hanley.
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 22: Paul Edis Trio @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £TBC. Edis, Andy Champion, Steve Hanley.

Sat 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall. 2:00pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 23: Paul Edis @ Core Music, Gilesgate, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00. A Core Music fundraiser, Hexham Jazz Weekender Day/Weekend ticket not applicable. Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sat 23: Blyth Big Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 6:30pm. £9.00., £5.00.
Sat 23: Paul Edis & Friends @ Musicwonders, Church Chare, Chester-le-Street. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £15.00. www.musicwonders.org. BYOB.
Sat 23: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Queen’s Hall Hexham. 7:00pm. £13.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sat 23: TC & the Groove Family + Lagos to Longbenton @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sat 23: Davina & the Vagabonds @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £22.00. + £1.50 bf.
Sat 23: Celebrating Wes Montgomery @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 8:15pm. £14.00., £12.00. Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sat 23: Chris Coull’s Porgy & Bess @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 9:30pm. £16.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Dave Connolly Shock News!

I heard last night the sad news that well known Teesside trumpet player and band leader Dave Connolly has died. No further details are available at present. Lance. YouTube link from John Moorley.

5 comments :

Anonymous said...

Very, very sad. Dave was an amazing guy.

Anonymous said...

he was a great musician/ arranger/engineer, he will be missed , stu c

Anonymous said...

RIP Dave - you will be deeply missed. Fiona & Steve

john moorley said...

I first got to know Dave last autumn. I’d seen him around College and in the White Horse where he was a regular and where my girlfriend and I occasionally visit late Saturday pm. I introduced myself; we immediately warmed to each other, clearly shared taste in music and seemed to have much else in common.

When we had spoken to him about three times he produced two complimentary tickets for us to attend the Newcastle City Hall last November where he had put together a big band and produced the arrangements for the whole evening where Jason Isaacs was the featured singer. It was a terrific evening. Here is a clip from the event - he appears within the first 15 secs and little thereafter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JItw1jEpwYo&feature=related

I last spoke to Dave about 2 weeks ago when I crossed the road for a meal in the White Horse and we conversed for about 40 minutes. We talked of his 'new' car, his recent and future ‘gigs’ and his enthusiasm in developing the degree course with Sunderland. His company was always most congenial.

With my limited acquaintanceship, he seemed to be thoroughly nice man with a keen sense of humour. His overriding quality seemed to be modesty. To misquote a well-known phrase, "He was extremely modest with little to be modest about". When Jason Isaacs paid tribute to him at the concert, he was hiding somewhere at the back of the stage instead of receiving the much-deserved applause.

Three weeks ago he attended the funeral of Alfie Hines, a major big band music presence in Darlington whom he had known for years and who organised the Darlington Youth Band in the late 60s and 70s and in which Dave was member. The Band gained national acclaim and well-known Jazz men attended. Recently BBC4 showed a young looking Johnny Dankworth playing with Darlington Youth Band in the early 1970s. Dave told me of his playing in Eric Delaney's Band for several years and playing in support to PJ Proby, Anita Harris and what seemed a roll call of 1970s – 90s glitterati. I was looking forward to pursuing these threads further.

I mourn Dave’s departure out of all proportion to the length of time I have known him and my 8 hours or so in his company.

John Moorley
Until recently, Chair of Bishop Auckland College

Dave Priestman said...

Hope you play better golf up there mate.
DAVE PRIESTMAN

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