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Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 2025).

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

17873 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 194 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (March 14).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.
Tue 18: Phil Bancroft’s Beautiful Storm @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20 & £11.00.. A JNE-Gem Arts co-promotion.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Nicknames.
Thu 20: Terri Green Experience @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.90.
Thu 20: Lindsay Hannon Trio @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Hannon’s ‘Tom Waits for No Man’ set.
Thu 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Giles Strong Quartet @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 21: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Featuring special guest Martin Litton (piano).

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Swamp Stomp String Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Sat 22: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: The Great Deceivers @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Tom Atkinson & co play King Crimson (1969-1974). Atkinson (guitar); Josh Bentham (alto sax); Stu Dawson (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums).

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. 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

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Jazz Esquires @ Porthole - Nowt as funny as folk!

Miles Watson (tpt/vcl/dms); Terry Dalton (tmb); Andy Lee (alt); Tony Winder (ten/sop/fl/clt); Roy Gibson (keys); Robin Douthwaite (gtr); Stan Nicholson (bs); Laurie Brown (dms/vcl/clt).
When enquiring if today's session was on - many have fallen by the wayside owing to the holiday season etc.- Miles assured me that the show would go on comparing it to The Windmill who didn't close during The Blitz. Of course the famous London Theatre had only The Luftwaffe to contend with. The Porthole was faced with an invasion of Folk Musicians and their camp followers who arrived armed with penny whistles, guitars, fiddles, mandolines, bodhrans, banjos, accordions, melodions and a few other weapons of mass destruction. I gave them a listen and I wasn't sure if they played a 100 choruses of 3 tunes or 3 choruses of a 100 tunes.
Scurrying back to the "Jazz Room" One O'Clock Jump marshalled Dad's Army a.k.a. the Jazz Esquires into a rearguard action and, by the time Laurie Brown had taken the final drum break we knew the invaders had been repelled and contained in the bar.
Miles chantez C'est Magnifique and blew trumpet like Buck (this damn keypad!). Tuxedo Junction, In a Mellowtone and a storming Tiger Rag were a few other memorable moments.
Andy blew nice pre-Parker alto, Tony had moments on tenor and Terry scored on trombone. It's a good band that straddles the line just north of Dixie thanks to some good arrangements. Teresa (pictured) belied her venerable years with a spritely I'm Confessin' and an evocative Sway.
Meanwhile, at the far end, the tune continued as fiddlers fell and were replaced seems like the whole world and their instruments were fighting to be in.
The Esquires just laid back and blew - Laurie even had a go at Moonglow on clarinet with Miles on drums.
If our Ann Alex had been here she'd have been worn out dashing from one room to the other!
Photos.
 Lance.
PS: For Ann (see comments) some Penny Whistle Jazz.

2 comments :

Ann Alexander said...

Do readers realise that you can play jazz on a penny whistle, which is usually classed as a folk instrument? I can play 'Them There Eyes'. Mind, I'm not saying it's good, and I'm not quite ready to start my own band yet!
Ann Alex

Anonymous said...

I was in the Porthole Pub last week and I really
enjoyed the Jazz Esquires.
All good players and soloists.
The bass player was excellent but was not given any credit or solo's! (Yes I am a Bass Player)
One other thing was the trumpet player was very bad at starting and sometimes tried for high notes he couldn't reach. Apart from that excellent entertainment!!!

Tom Hunter

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