Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thu 25: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:00pm. ‘All About the Bass Sessions’. Alexia Gardner, Paula Gardner, Jude Murphy.

Fri 26: ???

Sat 27: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 27: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Jason Holcomb & co.

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00., £7.00. adv.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 31: Lil Miss Mary & the Mr Rights Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. ‘Early NYE Bash’. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues.
Wed 31: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. ‘Midnight in Manhattan’ NYE party. £49.46 (inc. bf) & £29.38 (inc. bf).

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

Saturday, May 05, 2012

Jazz North East Newsletter.

(By Dave Clark).No less than three concerts this week, presenting Jazz North East wearing two of its most varied hats. Also a special price deal - see the very end of this newsletter. Two of the concerts have appeared in a previous newsletter and the third is a newcomer. It seems fair to begin with the newcomer even though the other two pre-date it :

8.00PM SUNDAY 13TH MAY
FUSIONHEAD
Roz Sluman (sax & vocals); Nick Rimmer (keyboards); Alex Green (bass & vocals); Kenny Reed (drums)
Carlisle-based Fusionhead pride themselves on tight arrangements and creative improvisations over groove-based jazz in a variety of styles-funk, soul, blues and rock. Their material includes home-grown originals and classics from Miles to Sting - music to let your hair down to, if you're still fortunate enough to have any, and get funky.
Leader Roz Sluman has played with legends of the soul-jazz genre such as James Brown reedsman Pee Wee Ellis so she knows her way round that genre. But her influences - she names Paul Desmond, Cannonball Adderley, David Sanborn and the Brecker Brothers- are clear evidence that her style also embodies both cool melodic playing and hard bop.
The gritty vocals of bassist Alex Green are a second strong blues element to the band while Nick Rimmer, keyboards, and Kenny Reed,drums, respectively provide textural variation and subtle colouration.
This gig is in an upstairs room inaccessible to wheelchair-users.
BRIDGE HOTEL, CASTLE GARTH, NEWCASTLE NE1 1RQ
Admission £5.00 - only at the door.
------
L'Entente Chordiale - Wednesday May 9. 7:30pm.
SPELK
Chris Sharkey (guitar); Andy Champion(bass); Adrian Tilbrook (drums)
+ TWEEDLE DEE
Robin Fincker (tenor sax & clarinet); Alex Bonney (trumpet); Fidel Fourneyron (trombone & tuba); Julian Desprez (guitar); Kit Downes (organ); Dave Kane(bass); Yann Joussein (drums)
The first of two nights of an Anglo French Festival (L'Entente Chordiale) which can be described as genuinely unique. Cheltenham Jazz Festival beat us to it by commissioning a performance from Tweedle Dee, the septet of leading young players from Paris and London who are at the core of our festival. But that was to be that. Tweedle Dee didn't envisage a second performance until Jazz North East persuaded them to contribute to our growing relationship with our Gallic cousins and extend their life by a day. Our festival's uniqueness doesn't stop with Tweedle Dee though. We added to them one French trio and a solo musician (Day Two) and, in an effort to forge links and create possible future collaborations, added two Tyneside bands consisting of some of the region's most adventurous musicians.
The festival kicks off tonight with a double bill of freeform jazz-rockers Spelk, who played a ferociously energetic set at the recent Gateshead International Jazz Festival, and Tweedle Dee, whose starry line-up includes keyboards maestro Kit Downes (whose own quintet played a great gig at the Lit & Phil a few weeks ago.)
----- 
L'Entente Chordiale Thursday May 10. 7:30pm.
ACV
Graeme Wilson(saxes); Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Edis (piano); Andy Champion (bass); Adrian Tilbrook (drums)
+YANN YOSSEIN
Yann Yossein (percussion & electronics)
+Q
Julien Desprez (guitar); Fanny Lasfargues (electric bass); Sylvain Darrifourcq (drums)
Day 2 begins around 2pm in the afternoon with an open invitation to local players to drop in, free of charge, to meet our guests and swap musical ideas.
The evening concert is in three parts, beginning with a set by Andy Champion's ACV - original music, excellently played - continuing with a percussion and electronics performance by French drummer Yann Yossein and climaxing with a return visit from the experimental jazz- rock trio Q.
NEWCASTLE LITERARY & PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY LIBRARY, 23 WESTGATE ROAD, NEWCASTLE NE1 1SE
ADMISSION £20.00 & £16.00 CONC. FOR TWO NIGHTS;£12.00 & £10.00 CONC. FOR ONE NIGHT.
Tickets can be reserved from the venue Tel. 0191 232 0192 and bought at the door.
Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jazznortheast
Details of all our events on our website at www.jazznortheast.com.
Dave C.

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