Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

June

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Sat 27: OUTRI @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £13.01. 1:00-1:45pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Richardson & Westgarth Sport & Social Club, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. Note change of venue.
Sat 27: House of the Black Gardenia + Magpies of Swing @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 2:15-3:15pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 3:45-4:45pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Rory Ingham @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 5:30-6:30pm. £19.51. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Ingham w. Dean Stockdale, Ian Paterson, Dave McKeague.
Sat 27: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 27: Laura Jurd @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £26.00. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Sat 27: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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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