Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

19,012 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 876 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 16) 55.

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

October.

Sat 17: SunOrbitUs @ Culture House, Sunderland. 11:00am - 5:00pm. Closing event in a year-long piece of music. 11:00am-1:00pm Improvisation workshop w. Faye MacCalman; 2:00-5:00pm Collective Improvised Performance by Sunderland residents. SOLD OUT!
Sat 17: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 17: Martin Taylor @ Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £48.72; £43.37. Solo guitar. SOLD OUT!

Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Jump jive.
Sun 18: Guisborough Big Band @ Redcar Rugby Club. 5:00-8:00pm. ‘Charity Big Band Birthday Bash’ in aid of Parkinson’s UK & Young Sounds UK. Free (donations on the door).
Sun 18: Martin Taylor @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £23.30. Solo guitar.
Sun 18: Ben Crosland Quartet with Steve Waterman @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Sue Ferris Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Pete Tanton (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Tue 20: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Head, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Tickets from Tully’s, Rothbury. Coquetdale Jazz. Note change of venue.
Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Scotty Adair.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: FILM: Blue Moon @ Washington Arts Centre. 1:00pm. £4.50 (inc. bf). Biopic of lyricist Lorenz Hart.
Wed 21: De'Sean Jones’ Urban Art Orchestra @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.; £5.00. student, unwaged; free to Mercury Awards ticket holders. De'Sean Jones (tenor sax, EWI); Tjoe Man Cheung (guitar); Mikele Montolli (double bass) + others TBA.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 21: Roby Glod-Steve Sewell Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Thu 22: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 22: Mercury Prize @ Utility Arena Newcastle. 8:00pm. £60.25.; £48.75. Line-up inc. Knats.
Thu 22: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bandstand!, Exhibition Park, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.20 (inc. bf) via Instagram. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Thu 22: Olly Styles Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.75.

Fri 23: Sara Oschlag w. Arnie Somogyi Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. Sara Oschlag (vocals); Ben Lawrence (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); John Hirst (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. Durham Jazz Festival. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Maja Bugge & Dave Evans @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Durham Jazz Festival.
Fri 23: Knats @ King Street Social Club, North Shields. 7:00pm. £17.00., £14.70., £11.30., £5.50. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.
Fri 23: Sara Oschlag & Arnie Somogyi w. Ben Lawrence @ Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. Sara Oschlag (vocals); Ben Lawrence (keyboards); Arnie Somogyi (double bass).
Fri 23: Ronnie Scott’s Soho Songbook @ Redhills, Durham. 8:00pm. James Pearson (piano); Sam Burgess (double bass); Chris Higginbottom (drums); Alex Garnett (sax); Polly Gibbons (vocals). Durham Jazz Festival. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: SwanNek + Jacob Egglestone @ Fabio’s Bar, Durham. 9:00pm. Durham Jazz Festival.

Monday, August 01, 2011

Identity Parade!

Lance, I was looking up some information on Newcastle Jazz in the '50s and I came across a mention of the Newcastle Jazz Club in the Royal Arcade and a link to a photograph. I couldn't find the photograph but I contacted Steve Ellwood who owns the site http://www.steve-ellwood.org.uk/ and he kindly sent me a copy and gave me permission to use it. Steve tells me that this was sent to him a long time ago and he can't remember the source but it was named Royal Arcade - Newcastle Jazz Club and he thought the band was George Hornsby's. It looks a bit posh for a Jazz Club and I was told that George used to have a residency at the Milvain, could it be there? If you think any of your readers might have an input please feel free.
Alfred Stone.

12 comments :

Lance said...

Well Alf, I never was in the Arcade Jazz Club as it was a little before my time. However, the arcade was quite an elegant place so it is possible.
I don't recall George Hornsby either although they look to be a dance band rather than the trad outfits that played at the club.
As regards the Milvain, I only knew it after the fire in 1960 so I couldn't comment on that either.
Which means that it's up to any guys out there old enough to remember the Royal Arcade Jazz Club or the Milvain in it's glory days as a dance hall. I seem to recall that Freddy Stebbings had a residency there in the 1950s.
Suggestions please.

Roly said...

Before my time too Lance but interesting you mention Freddy Stebbings - my Uncle Ron (Scone) Veitch (drummer) was my dad's youngest brother. He played a long term residency with Freddy (in a trio) at The Pineapple Club at Elswick. I went along to see them a few times - it included s good jazzy pianist who's name I can't remember. The pianist played me some blues and boogie woogie which I liked at the time. Early 60s I would think. I was getting into jazz then - via Peterson mainly (I got the Night Train album and was hooked). Its not Ron on the photo though.
Roly

Miles said...

Hi Lance, That picture is not the Jazz club in the Royal Arcade which was in the Socialist Hall which was also used for "spuggie" (spiritual) meetings. It was a fairly small, grungy, oblong room upstairs at the far end of the Arcade I was only there twice, once to see Josh White the folk & blues singer, he sang the House Of The Rising Sun & I sometimes wonder if that's where the Animals got the song from. I also saw Mick Mulligan & Melly there with Ronnie McLean depping on trombone.
I was once or twice at the Milvain the band had M H on the music stands whoever they were. The most everlasting memory of the place is dodging the battles. Oh happy days (mid fifties).
Miles

Jack Goodwin said...

That certainly wasn't the Arcade Jazz Club. I played there with Clem Avery, John Wheatley, John Saxelby, Peter Deuchar, Eric Miller, etc, etc. and we used to practice there on a fairly regular basis. One highlight was when Big Bill Broonzy visited the Club. Peter Deuchar gave him a bottle of ten year old malt and Bill just sang and sang - accompamied by the resident local musicians for some numbers. A great memory.
Jack Goodwin.

Alf Stone said...

Lance and friends.
Thanks for your input.
Regards,
Alf

Anonymous said...

any more info on the freddie stebbings band

Unknown said...

This photo was taken in the Milvain and my grandad was playing the drums in the photo

Lance said...

Thanks (not) a lot for that! As you don't give your name or that of your grandfather we're no further forward apart from the fact that it confirms that it was the Milvain on Westgate Rd.

Nick Wright said...

My grandad was called Jack Wright who came from Blaydon and all I can tell you was the man playing the trumpet was called Ronnie

Lance said...

Nick, I remember Jack Wright - if it's the same one. Occasionally played drums at the Bluebell in Felling on a Sunday lunchtime with Arthur and Billy Luke and Teddy Langston - this would be mid-1960s

Unknown said...

Icm not sure, I was born in the late 60s and can never remember my grandad ever playing drums from that time onwards but I will have a word with my dad and see if he remembers anything else about when and where he played.

Lance said...

Nick, looking at the photo again, I don't think the drummer was the Jack Wright I knew but then again... it was a long time ago!

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