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

Monday, January 30, 2012

Play it "Again" Doris, Mel, Nat...

This is such a great song that it amazes me that no one does it these days. From the 1940's film Roadhouse where Ida Lupino didn't mime it to Peg La Centra's vocal as she did in The Man I Love but actually sang it herself (it's on YouTube.) The melody and the lyric (The music was written by Lionel Newman, the words by Dorcas Cochran)  are so powerful that, to me, it's close to perfection in a song.
We'll have this moment forever - but never, never, again.
Mel Tormé and Nat Cole also did the song justice in fact it was the Tormé version that first hipped me to it.
A pianist friend from way back - one Derek Hunter - used to play a Shearing version and the chordal fill-ins were magic (50% George and 50% Derek).
Zoe, Ruth, Claire, Lindsay let's hear it!
Lance.
PS: Olive, you could make this your own!

5 comments :

Liz said...

I don't know how you find these gems Lance, this is a lovely number and it is years since I last heard it...you sure know a good thing when it comes along. DD was who every girl wanted to be in the 50's, me included, and I'm sure I foxtroted to this song in that era.. ahhh!
Liz

Lance said...

Shame we never went to the same dances!

Liz said...

I know! but we are still appreciating this wonderful music over half a century later, and I meant to say that background harmony so set the mood,all the numbers seemed to have them in those days
Liz

Liz said...

just listened to Mel's version ..swoon swoon! interesting Beguine rhythm...OMG if only I could have seen him live, I think I would have felt I had died & gone to Heaven...I noticed in the shots of him whilst it was playing that he developed fuller hair in his later years...so I guess it was a toupée..with that voice he could get away with murder never mind a rug..

Lance said...

Old Blue Eyes and the Old Groaner both had "Enhanced" hair so why should the Velvet Fog be any different?
As you know I did see Tormé with Shearing and Carmen McRae at the RFH and it was a truly magical evening. You, I know, also saw Sinatra at Albert Hall so between us we have seen the best!

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