Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Durham Alumni Big Band & Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Theatre. 7:30pm. £12.00. Two big bands on stage together!
Fri 06: Nauta + Littlewood Trio @ Little Buildings, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Double bill + jam session.
Fri 06: FILM: Made in America @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Ornette Coleman.
Fri 06: Deep Six Blues @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

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

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Steve Fishwick Quartet @ Hoochie Coochie

Steve Fishwick (tpt); Ross Stanley (keys); Tim Thornton (bs); Matt Fishwick (dms).
This was a good gig make no mistake about it. A driving set that, if there was to be any criticism, it would be that it had just too much excitement!
Steve is one of the more forceful modern trumpet players and he eschews Chet and Miles in favour of Clifford, Lee and Freddie.
They blew bop - of course they did - but with Ross Stanley on keys (a regular visitor to the area) it was never going to be a nostalgia thing and at times it approached the edge with some avant garde playing that Charlie Parker would have struggled to accept even on his own Passport which drew the first set to a close.
A bottle or two of London Pride, chat with Paul Edis and Don Forbes, then it was back to 52nd St - 2011.
How Deep Is The Ocean? Lullaby, a Woody Shaw piece and Steve's own Howling brought things to a, wait for it, Howlin' close. The audience wanted more and they got it with a blues that had the room roaring its approval. Brother Matt, on drums, showed that there is more than one way to skin a kit with an extended drum solo that scored.
Hoochie Coochie is a good venue yet tonight there were few of the regular jazz audience in (if there is such a thing and I'm beginning to wonder...) Perhaps they took heed of the dammed with faint praise Steve Fishwick had been subjected to elsewhere. Fortunately, there were  enough people with open minds who just came to enjoy the music.
They were rewarded with an evening that may have changed their lives (well we do live in hope!)
Ross Stanley is back in the region at The Cluny on September 27.
Photos
Lance.

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

"How Deep Is The Ocean? Lullaby," is not a Woody Shaw tune.

Lance said...

I couldn't agree more! The sentence should have read - How Deep Is The Ocean?, Lullaby, a Woody Shaw piece - the title of which escaped me - and Steve's own composition, Howling, which brought things to a, wait for it, Howling close.
I shouldn't have had that extra bottle of London Pride!

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