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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17822(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 143 of them this year alone and, so far, 68 this month (Feb.25).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ Three Sheets to the Wind, Alnwick. 5:15pm or 5:45pm (times tbc). Part of the Alnwick Story Festival's music fringe programme: Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Joseph O’Brien: The Ultimate Tribute to Frank Sinatra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. O’Brien & seven piece band (inc. Wendy Kirkland, Jim Corry & Pat Sprakes).
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 02: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £10.00. Day 3/3.
Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 02: Side Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Derwentwater Road, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Milne Glendinning Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 6:30pm.
Sun 02: Bella by Barlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 02: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Spittal Bowling Club, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Ali Watson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 03: Milne Glendinning Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. Tel: 0191 237 3697. 12:30pm. £8.00. ‘Jazz ‘n’ Pancakes’.
Tue 04: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.
Tue 04: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: The Jazz Music of Quincy Jones.
Thu 06: BBC Big Band @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. £32.00., £25.00., £16.00. ‘The Sound of Cinema’ featuring Emer McPartland (vocals).
Thu 06: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 06: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Guests: Dan Johnson (sax); Josh Bentham (sax); Gary Hadfield (keys); Adrian Beadnell (bass). A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

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

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Southport Jazz Festival set to return for a 13th year and a brand new home.

The Atkinson, Southport’s state-of-the-art new venue has announced it will be home to the 13th annual Southport Jazz Festival, which will run from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 May 2013.
The festival has firmly established itself as one of the regions premier music events and will feature a whole host of internationally acclaimed artists from the world of Jazz. The line-up includes James Morton’s Pork Chop, James Morrison with the Swingshift Big Band, MOBO Award winners Kairos 4Tet, Joe Stilgoe Trio and up and coming talent including Go Go Penguin.
Southport Jazz festival is to be one of the first events to be hosted at the brand new Atkinson venue, a cultural jewel in the crown of the seaside resort. It is a long-awaited £17 million development of the old Southport Arts Centre, Atkinson Art Gallery, Botanic Gardens Museum and the central Library and is due to open early May 2013.
Emma Lloyd, Marketing, Programme and Visitor Services Manager said “The 2013 Southport Jazz Festival is different to the past events, as this year there are headlining jazz gigs taking place throughout the 3-days so we are able to offer a range of weekend, day and session tickets to encourage people to stay in the town that little bit longer.
We have worked really hard to ensure that the programme is diverse and has something for everyone, from the contemporary to the big band jazz, from the well-established names to the new soon-to-be stars of the jazz circuit. This year we are delighted that CAMRA have come on board to run a beer festival as part of the festival – we know this will add to the festivities.”
The full programme of events will see performances from the world of Jazz playing throughout the day and night at The Atkinson, it all kicks off on the Friday with Sheffield-born vocalist from the Nicola Farnon Quartet, who the legendary late Humphrey Lyttleton described as “A class act who should be on every jazz festival in the land...a sure fire hit!” The Al Wood Nine take over early evening with selection of bebop and swing from the multi-talented group and will perform some special arrangements as well as their classic set.  Friday evening will also feature charismatic altoist James Morton leading his band Porkchop through a collection of funk, soul jazz and gospel sound.
Go-Go Penguin makes their return to the SJF to start Saturday’s proceedings, following their huge success at last year’s festival. They are one of the most exciting contemporary instrumental groups working today.  Saturday will also feature The Bateman Brothers Jazz Band, an all-star group comprising of Alan Bateman (trumpet/vocals), Ian Bateman (trombone), Trevor Whiting (clarinet), Craig Milverton (piano), John Day (Bass), Steve Rushton (Drums) and Maggie Reeday (vocals). Their special guests for the Festival are Enrico Tommasso and Spats Langham.  Also part of Saturday’s big line-up is Gabby Young and Other Animals.  The 7-piece band, are the ringmasters of Circus Swing, a musical genre that fuses Swing Jazz, Eastern European beats and English Folk created with horn, wind and percussion instruments.  Closing Saturday is Sector 7, made up of seven talented musicians, amongst them, award-winning vocalist Sarah Ellen Hughes. Having only being on the jazz scene for two years they have already taken the musical world by storm, recording and releasing their EP, gaining critical acclaim, and being invited to perform at prestigious events and festivals across Europe.
Sunday starts in great style, music and film lovers of all ages will enjoy Terry Seabrook’s band Milestonesperforming a new film score at this year’s festival. Inspired by the Miles Davis soundtrack Lift to the Scaffold, Seabrook has written his own full-length jazz soundtrack, for Buster Keaton’s 1924 film Sherlock JrMilestoneswill perform live as the film is screened. Making their first appearance at the Southport Jazz festival are the award-winning Kairos 4Tet, a band born out of a desire to explore times past, present and future via music. Winners of 2011’s MOBO award for ‘Best Jazz Act’, they make a welcome addition to Sunday’s line-up.  The chart topping sensation the Joe Stilgoe Trio take the festival into Sunday evening, as one of the world’s finest singer-pianists Stilgoe released his critically acclaimed second album ‘We Look to The Stars’ last year.  Closing the festival is Australian musical virtuoso James Morrison, besides the trumpet, this multi-instrumentalist also plays trombone, euphonium, flugelhorn, tuba, saxophone and piano. Morrison has performed gigs in the world’s most famous jazz clubs, been commanded by royalty and political leaders, and has been awarded The Order of Australia for his services to the arts. James will perform with the Swingshift Big Band for the festival finale.
CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) will be running a beer festival alongside the three-day jazz event, showcasing a selection of real ales and perrys for the public to sample.
The Southport Jazz Festival for 2013 encompasses The Atkinson - Headline Gigs, The Jazz Festival Village at the Town Hall Gardens and The Fringe Festival across the town.
Follow all the latest festival news on the Southport Jazz Festival on twitter #southportjazz and facebook/The Atkinson

EVENT LISTINGS

Friday 10 May
The Nicola Farnon Quartet                                2.30pm
The Al Wood Nine                                               7pm
James Morton’s Porkchop                                 10pm

Saturday 11 May
Go Go Penguin                                                   11am
The Bateman Bothers Jazz Band                     2.30pm
Gabby Young and the Other Animals             7pm
Sector 7                                                               10pm

Sunday 12 May
Milestones Play to the Silent Screen                  11am
Kairos 4tet                                                               2.30pm
Joe Stilgoe Trio                                                       5pm
James Morrison with Swingshift Big Bang         8pm 

HOW TO BOOK

Southport Jazz Festival
Dates: 10-12 May 2013
Day and Weekend Festival Tickets are now on sale.

01704 533 333or online at www.seftonarts.co.uk*
*Subject to booking fee.

Join The Atkinson mailing list at www.theatkinson.co.uk

The AtkinsonLord Street,
Southport
PR8 1DB

1 comment :

Mary said...

Cool. Thanks for providing these details. Do you know anything about southport hotels half board? I wanna spend holidays there.

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