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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17719 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 39 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Jan. 15).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Sun 19: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. ‘Glenn Miller & the Rat Pack Era’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 19: Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 19: Nick Ross Orchestra @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Sun 19: Freight Train (Tobin/Noble/Clarvis) @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 19: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Ferryboat Serenade


(Post by Brian Bennett).
Here's a few pic's from my 70's archives which may stir a few memories. 
The nucleus of the band worked together in the Art Studio at Redheads Advertising Agency in Newcastle. As was mentioned in an earlier post, the band were resident on the floating restaurant, 'The Northumbrian', formerly the old North Shields ferry which was berthed on the site of Mitchison's ship repair yard on the south bank of the Tyne at Friar's Goose, Gateshead.
Apart from weekly gigs on board the Northumbrian, the band also performed at many other functions and events around Tyneside. 
As the 'in-house' band for the Agency, we also recorded various sound tracks and 'jingles' for radio and TV commercials. one for Gateshead Indoor Market and recorded at Metro Radio featured Mac Rae on vocals - I seem to recall Mac needed several 'takes' before finally nailing his vocal. A press, radio and TV campaign for Northern Gas which invited people to trade in their old gas cookers for new ones, used the actor Harry H Corbett and his character, Harold Steptoe of 'Steptoe & Son' which was a top BBC TV comedy series at the time. For copyright reasons, the Agency wasn't allowed to use the original Steptoe series theme tune so the house band went into Dave Wood's Impulse Sound Studios in Wallsend to re-record it - percussionist Don Eddy played skulls and woodblocks to create the 'clip-clop' sound of the Steptoe's cart horse, Hercules. 
The above photo was taken at Ryton Hospital's 'Fete Day'. 
Left to right: *Mike Riddler, drums; **Howard Swanson, tuba; Brian Bennet and Clive Gray, banjos; Alan Bond, trombone; Alan Taylor, trumpet and Bill Scott, clarinet. 
*Drummer Mike Riddler, a former soldier with the SADF (South African Defence Force) played on the local scene for a few years before returning to his home country. 
**Tuba player and pianist, Howard Swanson, a solicitor who worked for a practice in Ridley Place at that time - his career eventually led him 'down South'.
Brian Bennett.

1 comment :

Brian Bennett said...

On pic No. 2, the tuba player is the late, great, John Wheatley

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