Bebop Spoken There

Dominick "Domo" Branch: ''Most people say drummers can't write, they're just time-keepers only beating on things. But I have a very musical brain.'' (DownBeat February, 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

18288 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 142 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 14), 42

From This Moment On ...

February

Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Squabble @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:00pm. Steve Chambers (organ); Jude Murphy (double bass, vocals); Sid White (drums).
Fri 20: Jive Aces @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors).
Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

Sat 21: ???

Sun 22: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 22: Joe Steels Group @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Harben Kay Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: Joe Steels Group @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Finn-Keeble Group @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00.
Tue 24: Liam Oliver & Shayo Oshodi @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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: Geordie Jazz Jam @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Newcastle University jam session. All welcome.
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 26: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £6.50.
Thu 26: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00 adv.
Thu 26: Mick Cantwell Band @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Blues.

Fri 27: Joe Steels Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! A Blue Patch album tour.
Fri 27: Alan Barnes w. Mick Shoulder Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Trio: Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
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: Radio Hito + Eddie Prévost, Silvain Schmid & Tom Wheatley @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £12.22., £10.10., £8.00.
Fri 27: Giacomo Smith w Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Fri 27: Alan Barnes w. Mick Shoulder Trio @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Trio: Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).

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

Friday, December 14, 2012

Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Hoochie Coochie Thursday December 13.

Michael Lamb, Pete Tanton, Tom Hill, Gordon Marshall (tpts); Alex Leathard, Mark Ferris, Robert 'Pez' Perez, Mr. John Flood (tmbs); Jamie Toms, Nadiah Killick(alt), Paul Gowland, Alan Marshall (ten), Laurie Rangecroft (bar); Chris Finch (pno); (bs); Pawel  Jedrzejewski (gtr); Guy Swinton (dms); Steph Adams, James Hedley (vcl).
(Review by Lance).
I'm pleased to say that they are still smokin' - breathing fire down their horns - and tonight, despite the Christmas theme, this was an evening that swung from the word go.

I missed the opening number but arrived just as Steph gave out with a spirited Wonderwall. A-Tisket-a-Tasket sung a la the youthful Ella followed. In between, the band played an impressive arrangement of Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea featuring Alex Leathard on trombone. 
More Steph with Time After Time then a real blockbuster of an arrangement of Body and Soul. This featured Paul Gowland on tenor. A slow, rhapsodic, chorus then POW! It became an up-tempo assault with Paul in full flight leading the charge and the brass playing Kenton/Herman type figures behind him before returning to the original tempo. This was quite an experience!
James Hedley arrived to sing Ain't That a Kick in the Head before teaming up with Steph for Baby It's Cold Outside. The blonde bombshell stayed on stage for a soulful Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The set finished with the dynamic duo Walking My Baby Back Home.
The London Pride replenished, It was time to Keep On Keepin' On and tenor solos from Alan Marshall and Gowland did just that. One Note At a Time and a nice piano solo from Chris Finch indicated his damaged hand had healed. More Marshall tenor and great trumpet from Tanton.
The singers did Things and James sang Our Love is Here to Stay. This had some Sweets Edison style trumpet from Leader Lamb.
There was more, much more, Jamie Toms alto, Pete Tanton's flugel, the unpronounceable guitarist and, most importantly, the precision of the section work which was tight yet with the looseness that is so essential to making a band swing. Down in The Galley they were really cooking but these were no turkeys but geese that goosed the band to greater heights.
Catch them again at Cluny 2 on December 22.
Photos.
Lance.
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