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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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

Saturday, January 26, 2013

The Jive Aces @ The Customs House, South Shields. Friday Jan. 25

Jan Clarkson (vcl/tpt/uke); John Fordham (ten/vln); Alex Douglas (tmb/washboard); Vince Hurley (pno); Ken Smith (bs); Peter Rowell (dms); Rebecca Grant (vcl) + Dancers.
(Review by Lance).
This was one helluva Bueno Sera! It had been a few years since I last heard The Jive Aces and age cannot  wither nor custom stale their infinite variety (one of Shakey's better chat-up lines - approx.)
This was a roller-coaster ride that took us from the opening When Your Smiling to Oh Marie and the interval. I don't know how the band felt but we, the audience, were exhausted!
Hurley on piano is the most acrobatic pianist I've ever seen - he did everything but do handstands on the piano stool. I think he may have done that on a previous gig or maybe it will be the next one. Never missing a beat in the process I hasten to add!
These guys are big on Scientology but they're also pretty hip to Choreography and, whilst tenorman Fordham is not averse to a spot of Ornithology his true forte is Rockinrollology as played by Sam Butera - Louis Prima's one time tenor player.
Prima is the band's main influence although Louis Jordan and Bobby Darin have their say too. This could go on forever such are the delights of this bunch of musical madmen.
They rock, they roll,
They jump, they jive,
They sing, they swing,
They keep music alive.
Rebecca Grant sashayed forth to add her voice to that of front-man Clarkson on I Want You to Be My Baby, discarded her bolero with the panache of a high class stripper during Too Darn Hot and finished her spot with Nothing's Too Good For My Baby - we loved her.
Oh Baby and Beyond the Sea a la Bobby got the rock rolling again before the delectable Rebecca returned, bolero back on her shoulders for A Tisket a Tasket a la Ella. Rebecca stayed with it for the rest of the set which also featured a couple of swing dancers who worked out on Flying Home as did Fordham.
Drummer Rowell did his thing on Sing! Sing! Sing! and joined in with Smith the bass for the traditional Ray Bauduc/Bob Haggart treatment of Big Noise From Winnetka. This brought the show to a close and who cared that it was snowing? We, like those on stage, had had a ball.
The band have a new CD available - as we were frequently reminded - King of the Swingers. A review will follow shortly.
Lance.
PS: The above are just a few of the highlights - there was also the Skiffle session with Fordham on violin and trombone man Douglas sliding over to washboard. As well as singing, blowing trumpet Clarkson also played ukelele.

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