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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Kevin Eland (trumpet).
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Friday, May 04, 2012

Lickety Split @ The Lit and Phil

Conte Candoli (tpt); Frank Rosolino (tmb); Bud Shank (alt); Richie Kamuca (ten); Russ Freeman (pno); Monty Budwig (bs); Barney Kessel (gtr); Shelly Manne (dms).
OK so that wasn't the real line-up but close your eyes and it could have been!
Actually it was Kevin Eland (tpt/flug); Eddie Bellis (tmb); John Hudson (ten); Alan Marshall (alt); Bill Brittain (pno); Alan Rudd (bs); Roy Willis (gtr); Paul Wight (dms) who created the illusion that we were hearing  a band from LA when in fact it was pure home grown talent!
Lickety Split have found a niche that was screaming out to be filled. Screaming out to be filled by an audience that neither wanted to be Taken Back to New Orleans nor had any inclination to view life On The Outside.
LS (silly name does nothing to pull the audience they aim at) has some great soloists - each and every one comparable with their LA counterparts. The arrangements are terrific (including a couple by Sunderland's Ray Chester).
The walls of the room are bedecked with portraits of bygone statesmen - dour, unforgiving gentlemen from days of yore (or should it be wor in Newcastle?) frowning upon these musical infidels who dare to infiltrate this holy of holy's. When Kev Eland blew some notes that their current MD Gabriel could only .dream about I swear the portraits smiled.
Archangels Hudson and Marshall descended and promptly took us back to the promised land where jazz and music were once equals. Bellis is a welcome addition to the local trombone ranks and his mic. technique is bumblingly effective - rather like Chris Barber's!
Nice to hear some Roy Willis guitar solos - too long he's been the unsung hero of  many a rhythm section but not tonight - Tonight there was a tide in the affairs of Roy.which, taken at the flood, led on to (musical) fortune; Roy took it at the flood with both hands and a plectrum.
Bass and drums kept it all together - Rudd playing Miles' All Blues could earn him a Maine Street Jazzmen ASBO!
Paul on drums - great.
On a downer, although the Lit and Phil was reasonably well attended, only Russell, Jim McD and myself were from the regular "Jazz Community" - the others being L and P members who probably turn out to support whatever event is being held.
Well, this was the missing jazzers' loss as, not only was the music great but pint bottles of Wylam Ale were only £2.50!
An 8 piece bebop band and beer at £2.50? Roll over Dizzy tell Bird the news.
Lance.
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