Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
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: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Digby Fairweather with the Swing City Trio @ Trinity Church, Gosforth. January 19

Digby Fairweather (cornet & vocals), Steve Andrews (tenor saxophone, clarinet & vocals), Roly Veitch (guitar & vocals) & Roy Cansdale (double bass) + Iain MacAulay (trombone)
(Review by Russell)
Gosforth High Street resembled a scene on a Christmas card - giant snow flakes, lots of them, threatening a white-out, settling under foot. The Newcastle suburb looked a picture - if you like that sort of thing. Trinity Church and Centre isn’t an obvious choice as a jazz venue yet good numbers invariably turn up for their monthly fix of the music. This bleak mid winter night deterred all but the hardy (fool hardy?). Once inside, the bottle bar was a first port of call. Hadrian Border’s Farne Island looked the pick. The audience looked rather thin (numerically). As the first set got underway the audience had beefed-up (numerically). The attraction? Digby Fairweather, no less.
An added attraction was the company he was keeping - the Swing City Trio, no less. Four amiable characters playing some tunes, having a good time. This Can’t Be Love, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby and I’m Confessin’ That I Love You (the latter dedicated to Ruby Braff featured stupendous playing by Fairweather). Braff anecdotes included the occasion when, on Tyneside, the American worked with Fairweather. After the gig, walking back to their hotel, Braff asked Essex lad Fairweather if he knew ‘The Lambeth Walk’ Did he? Of course he did! Picture the scene…the pair of them, arms linked, singing Cockney songs late into the night on the streets of Newcastle!
Swing That Music upped the tempo with Steve Andrews’ knock-out clarinet work. Guitarist Roly Veitch sang ‘Tis Autumn with wonderful contributions from Andrews (clarinet) and Fairweather. Veitch and rhythm partner bassist Roy Cansdale stoked it up big style on Spotlight as Andrews drew inspiration from Coleman Hawkins. 
The second set was just like the first - full of gems. Veitch sang What a Little Moonlight Can Do and Stars Fell on Alabama (ace trombonist Iain MacAulay joined the party), Andrews sang She’s Funny That Way and a blues heard MacAulay at his Teagarden-like best. Fairweather said he would happily play all night in the company of such fine musicians but it was almost closing time and a storming Lester Leaps In sent us on our way. Snow storms? What snow storms?
Russell                 

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