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

18602 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 466 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 8) 17

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

Sat 13: Ladies of Midnight Blue + Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Northumberland Miners’ Picnic, Woodhorn Museum, Ashington NE63 9YF. Free. From 10:00am. Ladies of Midnight Blue (3:00-3:45pm); Northern Monkey Brass Band (4:00-4:45pm).
Sat 13: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 13: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Saltburn Bandstand. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sat 13: Courtney Pine @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £35.80. Pine (saxophones); Robert Mitchell (piano); Rio Kai (double bass); Romarna Campbell (drums). ‘A Modern-Day Jazz Story 1986 - 2026’.

Sun 14: Front Porch Band: Swing Tyne’s Swing Social @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations (£5.00. - £10.00. suggested). Swing dance event w. taster class (12:30pm).
Sun 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 14: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Doctor Jazz @ The Old Church, Sacriston, Durham. 3:00-5:00pm . Free (donations welcome). New Orleans, blues & classic 20th century songs. Food & soft drinks available, BYOB.
Sun 14: Eddie Gripper Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.

Mon 15: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 15: Dan Johnson w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 16: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 16: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 18: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: 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 19: Joe Steels Group @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £14.33., £11.16., £8.00.
Fri 19: Martin Litton @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 (inc. bf); £6.50 (inc. bf); £15.00 on the door. Solo piano. CANCELLED!
Fri 19: Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Joe Webb support set.
Fri 19: Hot Club du Nord @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Jive Aces: The Roots of Rock & Roll @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Those Were The Days! Newcastle Jazz Festival 1972. (Actually 1977)

Andy Hudson kindly sent me this flyer from 1972 Newcastle Jazz Festival of which he was, at the time, Director. Of particular interest and, in retrospect, much amusement are the admission charges.
Nothing over £1.75 - for individual concerts by Melly, Ball and Bilk - lesser mortals such as Stan Tracey, Don Rendell and Ronnie Scott were a snip at £1.25! whilst Teddy Wilson came in at £1.50!
Thank you Andy for the flyer and those wonderful concerts.

8 comments :

JKasker said...

In this concert you remember the NBB musicians?. Are the same than the Jazz Festival of San Sebastian?. Thanks Lance!!!.

This is my blog about Sting: http//todosobresting.blogspot.com

Thanks!!!

Lance said...

I can't remember exactly but they were similar.

Andy Hudson said...

The later Big Band had Ronnie Pearson on Drums and Pete Stewart on Bass the San Sebastian and Pau (1st trips) had Jackie Denton AND Don Eddy on drums (great driving fun - but didn't make for quiet numbers like L'il Darlin and of course Ian Heslop initially and then Sting was on Bass.
Until his untimely death John Pearce was Lead Trumpet on the early gigs and did many of the arrangements.

JKasker said...

Thanks for all the useful information. I tried to reconstruction a distant age. I have searching Photos unseen of NBB and Last Exit. I can't believe talking with members of this bands. It's incredible!!!!. Thanks for open Your memories!!!!.

Steve Andrews said...

Sorry chaps, but this can't be the programme from the 1972 Newcastle Jazz Festival - the Savannah Syncopators was not formed until 1976! I well remember playing the George Melly gig in the University theatre. It was probably 1978 or '79. Bearing in mind the rampant inflation of the late 1970's (26%!!!!!! at one point) those prices look even more reasonable!

Lance said...

Well spotted Steve. The only October 21 that fell on a Friday during the '70s was in 1977.

Sid Smith said...

I believe this was from 1977. I recall seeing the Stan Tracey Octet gig playing material from The Bracknell Connection which had only just been released. Also I was at the Surman / Mangelsdorff gig - a very short-lived band who formed and broke up in 1977. Great to be reminded of this ace festival.

Dave Padget said...

I attended the Newcastle jazz festivals 1978 and 1979 as I was at the polytechnic.
I cannot remember which year was which but remember Dexter Gordon.Stan Tracey and John Surman and Mike gibbs only chrome waterfall orch at the uni and stan traceys ooctet and Gill Evans in Jesmond
Would love to be reminded of the house band members

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