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

18035 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 999 of them this year alone and, so far, 13 this month (Dec. 7).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sun 14: Musicians Unlimited + Darlington Big Band @ West Hartlepool RFC. 12 noon-6:00pm. £9.00. Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 14: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 14: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 6:30pm. £15.18 (inc. bf).
Sun 14: Paul Skerritt @ The Black Candle, South Shields. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 14: Sean Noonan Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 15: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 16: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Tue 16: A Jazzy Xmas @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Kyran Matthews (tenor sax, soprano sax); Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums).
Tue 16: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 12 noon. £29.00 (inc. bf). ‘Festive Lunch’. VCJ on stage 12 noon (three sets 'til 4:00pm).
Wed 17: Lazy River Band @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Veronica Perrin, Chris Perrin, John Farragher, Phil Rutherford
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Wed 17: A Jazzy Xmas @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Kyran Matthews (tenor sax, soprano sax); Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ YOLO, Ponteland. 7:00pm. ‘Swing & Jazz Night’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 18: Joe Steels & Friends @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:30pm. Free (donations).

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. 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: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

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.

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 on BBC Radio and closer to home

The (cold) wind of change blows across Radio 3’s jazz output this holiday weekend. Jazz Record Requests has a new presenter (the excellent Alyn Shipton) as long-time host Geoffrey Smith moves over to the graveyard shift (midnight) to present a new weekly programme imaginatively titled Geoffrey Smith’s Jazz. 
Radio 2 visits the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, on Sunday Wogan (yes, Terry Wogan) gets in on the act and Gil Evans is remembered in this the centenary year of his birth. 
Radio 4 gives listeners ‘another chance to hear’ Tuesday’s broadcast documentary on Mahalia Jackson. Oh yes, Lickety Split (see LL’s Lit & Phil review) can be heard on Radio Tyneside tomorrow (Sunday, 5:00 pm). The schedule looks something like this:
SATURDAY
Conjuring Halie – Mahalia Jackson (Radio 4, 3:30 pm)
Jazz Record Requests (Radio 3, 4:30 pm)
Jamie Cullum – live from Cheltenham Jazz Festival (Radio 2, 4:00 pm)
Jazz from the Terrace (Radio Tyneside, 8:00 pm)*
Geoffrey Smith’s Jazz (Radio 3, midnight)
SUNDAY
Weekend Wogan - Melody Gardot in session (11:00 am)
The Geordie Hour - featuring Lickety Split (Radio Tyneside, 5:00 pm)*
Clare Teal – a feature on Gil Evans (Radio 2
MONDAY
Melody Gardot – live from Cheltenham Jazz Festival (Radio 2, 6:00 pm)
Big Band Special – more Gil Evans (Radio 2, 9:30 pm)
*Radio Tyneside is Tyneside’s 24 hour hospital radio service. Local listeners can tune in on 1575 AM (medium wave) or listen on line www.radiotyneside.co.uk
Russell.
at

4 comments :

Will Boychuk said...

melody Gardot did a great set, which I heard over here in France on Jamie mcullum. I wished I could have been there, and that I could hear Melody sing again. but there are no re broadcasts outside UK. 'Tant pis', as my french neighbours say.

Monday, May 07, 2012 11:01:00 PM
Bad_Girls_Lament said...

Hey Will it is being rebroadcast online. Hit me up at theaterboi01 at aol dot com for a link to the mp3 capture of the broadcast. ^.~

Friday, May 11, 2012 6:17:00 PM
Russell said...

Apologies to anyone who tuned in last night to listen to Jazz From the Terrace at eight o'clock. The programme has been rescheduled and is now being broadcast at nine o'clock. There is a repeat for night owls at 1:00 am Thursday!
Russell

Friday, May 18, 2012 10:12:00 PM
John Taylor said...

The host of the Geordie Hour on Radio Tyneside is Gary Hogg from Cramlington. Gary is a regular at Ashington Jazz Club. Today I believe he will play a tracks from Lickety Split & Keith Stephens Hot Club Trio. (No doubt he will mention Keiths charity concert at Ashington next Friday)
John Taylor

Friday, May 18, 2012 10:14:00 PM

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