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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17822(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 143 of them this year alone and, so far, 68 this month (Feb.25).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ Three Sheets to the Wind, Alnwick. 5:15pm or 5:45pm (times tbc). Part of the Alnwick Story Festival's music fringe programme: Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Joseph O’Brien: The Ultimate Tribute to Frank Sinatra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. O’Brien & seven piece band (inc. Wendy Kirkland, Jim Corry & Pat Sprakes).
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 02: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £10.00. Day 3/3.
Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 02: Side Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Derwentwater Road, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Milne Glendinning Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 6:30pm.
Sun 02: Bella by Barlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 02: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Spittal Bowling Club, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Ali Watson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 03: Milne Glendinning Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. Tel: 0191 237 3697. 12:30pm. £8.00. ‘Jazz ‘n’ Pancakes’.
Tue 04: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.
Tue 04: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. 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

Monday, April 02, 2012

A Jazz Day Out. Sunday April 1.

A blue sky spring day. A train ride into the Deep South of Bebop Spoken Here Land. The Park Inn, Hartlepool, noon. A pint of Black Sheep, a packet of dry-roasted, the musicians arrive in dribs and drabs. The room was soon standing room only. They’ve done this before, some of them for twenty years or more – musicians and audience alike. 
Mick Donnelly’s Musicians Unlimited know countless tunes, so too the band’s loyal followers. A favourite of one and all at this gig is vocalist Bob Caswell. A veteran of the scene, he worked the room with consummate saloon-bar ease. All of Me, You Make Me Feel So Young, I’ve Got the World on a String,  Day In, Day Out, the list goes on and the applause went on and on. Mr. Caswell is a class act and it was a joy to hear this first class band behind him. 
Returning to Tyneside it was time for a bite to eat then on to the Sage via the Jazz Café’s jam session. It was early (house bass player Paul Grainger and pianist Alan Law were sitting having a natter), six o’clock is early in this joint - the advertised start-time was two o’clock or three o’clock depending which piece of publicity you read. Proprietor Keith Crombie operates on CrombieTime, a little known parallel universe and those of us not of this other world know we must sit and wait and wait…Law began to play a blues – it was good but it was time to go. 
The Sage, on the south side of the river, was about to present three of the very best regional youth big bands. Paraffernalia, the premier big band in the portfolio of the Gateshead Music Service performed with distinction at the recent Great North Big Band Jazz Festival. The programme at the Sage included The Chicken, Theme from Bullitt and Birdland. The seven-strong saxophone section comprised no fewer than six talented female musicians. It is to be hoped that they continue to make their way in the jazz world. 
Tees Valley Youth Big Band boasted a powerful trumpet section and  tackled a challenging arrangement of Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon
The third band to take the stage in the magnificent Hall One at the Sage was Jambone. The band, based at the Norman Foster designed facility, boasts some of the very best young musicians from the north east (some drawn from the ranks of Paraffernalia and Tees Valley Youth Big Band) and has the privilege of working with many of the jazz world’s greatest musicians (workshop and in concert). Woody Herman’s Apple Honey works every time - instant impact, a ‘rabble rouser’ without a doubt! The short set concluded with Andy Sheppard’s Gas and Air. The finale brought together all three bands (about sixty musicians) for a blast on Dog House and Live and Let Die.
Where next? A swift walk over the Swing Bridge, up Castle Stairs to the Bridge Hotel in time to catch the second set from Legohead. The trio played some new material (Military Medal and John to name but two) and threw in a couple of old favourites (and they have become favourites) in Clocks and Getaway Driver. The band’s debut CD is in the can and a CD launch gig is sure to follow soon. Two confirmed dates for the diary: next week Sunday 8 April - Splinter @ The Bridge presents Greg Spero, Andy Champion and Adrian Tilbrook. On Sunday 15 July Jambone have a spot at the prestigious Manchester Jazz Festival.
 Russell

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