Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

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

Monday, July 18, 2011

Wooster-Dunmall Quartet @ The Bridge. July 17th

Sam Wooster (trumpet), Paul Dunmall (tenor saxophone), Mark Sanders (drums), Chris Mapp (double bass). A day of cats and dogs weather-wise no doubt deterred some yet there was a healthy turn out for Jazz North East's latest On the Outside free jazz gig.
New kid on the block trumpeter Sam Wooster was in the exalted company of reeds maestro Paul Dunmall and first-call free jazz percussionist Mark Sanders together with the emerging talent of bassist Chris Mapp. Dunmall has been a frequent visitor to Tyneside over the years but somewhat surprisingly this was the first time he had set foot in the Bridge. On entering the upstairs room he said ''Nice room''. This has been a common reaction by several visiting musicians new to the venue. It certainly does have an ambiance particularly suited to intimate, small group performances. The beer selection is always excellent and on this occasion the Oxfordshire brewery was represented at the bar - it went down well.
The quartet chose to play acoustically and in retrospect perhaps Wooster should have been on a mic as Dunmall produced a full, big sound and when in overdrive with drummer Sanders it was sometimes difficult to hear the trumpet. Wooster isn't, on this showing, a powerhouse show off type. He was very much into the group dynamic, listening to the others, particularly Dunmall and the intricate trumpet/tenor interplay produced variously divergent then parallel lines. Sanders was on the case throughout - he knows the vocabulary inside out - and bassist Chris Mapp proved to be more than capable (his sound and approach suggested he is likely to be a rather good straight ahead player).
A good session with quite a few CD sales on the night. The gig was a joint promotion by Jazz North East with Jazz Action's Splinter @ The Bridge. Next week's Jazz Action session, the last of the season, features the mighty ACV (7.30 pm, £5.00. on the door). Russell.

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