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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sat 21: Jason Holcomb Jazz Ensemble @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 5:30-7:30pm. Free. A 'Sunderland Year of Music' event.
Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

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, June 25, 2012

Southbound @ The Bridge Hotel. Sunday June 24

Jack Davies (trumpet), Rob Cope (tenor saxophone), Tom Taylor (keyboards) & Jon Ormston (drums).
(Review by Russell)
England v. Italy. Live on every television in the United Kingdom of Inger-land. Well, you lost. Get your money on Germany. You lost double your money… read on. 
A five-a-side audience just about outnumbered the musicians on stage. So, the quartet kicked-off with pianist Tom Taylor’s composition Bird’s Nest. Gerry Mulligan or perhaps Jimmy Giuffre’s The Train and the River just about summed up where they were at or maybe not. Band leader Jack Davies’ Paragraphs indicated a contemporary classical approach (Harrison Birtwhistle and Hakan Hardenberger – vis Jack Davies - loomed large). A feature of the performance was the writing for two instruments, then a third and fourth. Restraint was key. Self control, self-imposed parameters, the discipline of grade 8+ musicians  
Tenor saxophonist Rob Cope contributed Minus Ten on which Taylor’s efforts scored ten out of ten. Percussionist Jon Ormston’s composition Clowns and Taylor’s Three Short Stories rounded off the first set. Audience and band dashed down to the bar to check the score….0-0. Cullercoats Brewery’s Jack the Lad hit the back of the net (1-0,  2-0, 3-0, then the scorer lost count). 

Second set: Tom Taylor spent a Day on the Roof Tops playing some first rate keyboards and Davies’ trumpet hit home. Rob Cope’s Southbound1 encapsulated the group dynamic and pianist Taylor’s Chaos rather politely caused a minor disturbance before closing with the American literary icon Saul Bellow-inspired Bellow. A winning gig. The quartet stood to applaud the audience. The audience (the quintet) stood as one to return the compliment. For the record books: Band and audience dashed down to the bar to watch the penalty shoot-out. Italy 4 England 2. Next week (Sunday July 1) get your money on Germany and the Paul Edis Trio (the Music of Bill Evans) at Splinter at the Bridge.
Russell                     

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