Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 742 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 4.) 21.

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

September.

Tue 08: Seijiro Murayama & Jean-Luc Guionnet @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Warwick St., Newcastle, NE2 1BB. 7.00pm. £10.00 (advance); £12.00 (on door); £.15.00 (solidarity).
Tue 08: SH#RP Collective @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 08: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: 58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club. 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: NONUNONU @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE. Excellent trio.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Jacenaite All Crew @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 10: Emma Rawicz INKYRA @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.30. Sage Two. Line-up: Emma Rawicz (sax); Scottie Thompson (piano, keyboards, synth); David Preston (guitar); Kevin Glasgow (bass guitar); Jack Thomas (drums).

Fri 11: Esther Bennett @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £10.00. Esther Bennett (vocals); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass).
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £14.09 (inc. bf).

Sat 12: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 12: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26 (inc. bf).

Sun 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: King Bees @ Shape Patisserie, Darlington. 3:00pm. Free. Duo (Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor). A Rhythm & Blues Fringe event. Blues excellence.
Sun 13: Alligator Gumbo @ The Cluny. 5:00pm. £17.15.; £11.43; £5.72.
Sun 13: Eternal Triangle + Andy Champion @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 14: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Alan Glen Trio @ The Chillingham. August 29

Alan Glen (piano), John Pope (double bass) & Paul Wight (drums)
(Review by Russell).
The doyen of north east piano players had been away from the scene for too long. This rare public performance by Alan Glen was one of those ‘I was there’ occasions. Glen is a man of few words – ‘One, two, three…’ is about as much as he has to say. His jazz piano playing does the talking, then some! Regular bassist John Pope forged a new partnership with drummer Paul Wight and one wondered how things would work out. Just grand I’d say! The set list is always five star material and a treat of modern jazz piano playing was in store. Love For Sale, Stella by Starlight, Autumn Leaves familiar tunes all, yet the sprightly tempi produced something extra special confirming that Glen has lost nothing in terms of ideas and their rapid execution.
An exquisite ballad – What’s New? – provided some relief for the bass and drums pairing. I won’t say they were flagging but they were working hard to keep up with the senior man in the outfit – only joking lads! All Blues, Time After Time, great tunes just kept coming, one after another. Jazz fans in the north east of England are fortunate to have so many top class pianists on their doorstep, Alan Glen is right up there with the best of them.
Wednesday night at the Chillingham is, of course, Dave Weisser’s night. Take it to the Bridge has been running for so many years few can remember when it all started. No matter, Weisser has kept on gigging when many a session has fallen by the wayside. The band, currently enjoying the ‘seasonal’ services of ex-pat electric bassist Ray Truscott and the busy Paul Wight (drums), picked a few tunes from a bulging pad to play two sets either side of Alan Glen’s master class.
Girl Talk (with Ben Sidran’s re-written politically correct lyrics) and Green Bossa served as a hors d’oeuvres. Later, coffee and biscuits Monk style; Well You Needn’t (I’m pleased to say they did), put veteran keyboards player Barrie Ascroft in the spotlight and the Main Man, Dave Weisser (trumpet, flugelhorn and vocals) hit the heights on Falling in Love with Love and for an encore scaled those heights with an excellent vocal on The Lady is a Tramp.
Russell                      
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