Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,066 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 930 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 31) 109.

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

November

Sat 07: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Ewan Bleach’s Cable Street Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington.
12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Superb band.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Find Your Pocket: Funk & Groove. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café, St James’ Retail Park, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 6:00pm.

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 11: Plague Doctors Cure All + Noonward @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: JANE @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 12: MoonMot + Jack Banjo’s Snackwall @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 12: Ratio: Swingin’ Through the Decades @ The Forum, Darlington. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. A charity fundraiser.
Thu 12: Look Left @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Thu 12: Michael Woods @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Acoustic blues.

Fri 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Giles Strong (guitar); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 13: Lapwing Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Richard Herdman, Jude Murphy, Paula Whitty.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Hexham Lantern Parade, Bandstand, Sele, Hexham. 6:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Sharp Collective @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm.
Fri 13: East Coast Swing Band @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 13: Guisborough Big Band @ Saltburn Golf Club. 7:30pm. Tickets: £15.00 (inc. pie & peas

Monday, January 30, 2012

Local band The Groove-A-Matics (featuring Johnny Whitehill) from Gateshead one step nearer to performing in New Brunswick, Canada - New Brunswick Battle of the Blues announces North East heat winner and runners-up

Six blues acts went head to head at the North East heat of New Brunswick Battle of the Blues at St Peter’s Social Club, Walker Rd, Newcastle on 27 January - part of a UK-wide search to find Britain’s best Blues talent.  The judging panel voted The Groove-A-Matics from Gateshead as the winners and they’ll now prepare for the London final, where they will compete against acts from the other 3 regional heats. Runners up from the North East heat were How Askew from Newcastle and Lee Bates & Billy Newton, from Gateshead.  They also have a chance of going through to the London final due to a public vote for the favourite runner up. So with the heat in Newcastle and winners and runners up coming from the area it was a great night for Newcastle and Gateshead musical talent! 
 The Canadian Province of New Brunswick has been looking to the UK to provide new performers for its world-renowned Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, which celebrates its 21st Anniversary in 2012.  Says competition organiser, Lee George; “The competition at this heat was fierce. Six excellent acts provided a great evening of live entertainment. But there had to be just one overall winner and The Groove-A-Matics  was chosen.
 After winning The Groove-A-Matics said; "It was a brilliant experience to perform live with 5 other really talented blues acts. We’re really excited and can’t wait to play in the final in London.  I’d like to thank Tourism New Brunswick for providing this great opportunity and for taking us one step closer towards Canada…..’
 But the story doesn’t end there.  There is also going to be a public vote so from 1st February you can go to the website (www.tourismnewbrunswick.co.uk) to hear 2 runners-up acts from each of the 4 heats – and choose your favourite. The 'winning' runner up will then join the finalists from the heats at the final in London. The final is taking place at The Garage, Highbury in London, on 27 March.
 The winner will get an all-expenses paid trip to the beautiful maritime province of New Brunswick to perform on one of the main stages at the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in the provinces’ capital Fredericton in September. They will also be given the chance to look around – last year’s winners went whale watching and sampled the very best of the province’s hospitality!
 Lee George again; “New Brunswick is not only a wonderful part of Canada, but it has a musical heartbeat like nowhere else in the world.  Travelling to the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival could be a life-changing opportunity to perform amongst the very best and to sample ‘the jewel of Atlantic Canada’ and all that the Province has to offer.”
 The line-up at the North East heat was: Half Deaf Clatch from Hull, Greg Wilson and the Big Caffeine Fix from Carlisle, Stephen Murphy from Washington, Sunderland, Groove-A-Matics from Gateshead,
Lee Bates and Billy Newton from Gateshead, and How Askew from Newcastle. For more information about the competition and the province of New Brunswick, visit www.tourismnewbrunswick.co.uk.

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