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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00. CANCELLED!

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: David Gray's Flextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’.
Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

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: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

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, February 22, 2013

Saxophone Massive Your Chance to Join in One of the Largest Saxophone Performances at The Sage Gateshead

Over fifty saxophonists will come together this weekend (Sunday 24 February) to rehearse for ‘Saxophone Massive’, which takes place at this year’s Gateshead International Jazz Festival (GIJF).
Andy Sheppard, jazz musician and composer, is leading on this exciting project, which is taking place for the first time in the North East at GIJF in April. This week’s rehearsal will be lead by Gateshead born but world-renowned jazz musician, Chris Sharkey.
Dave Elliott, a participant in Saxophone Massive said: “For my part I really enjoyed the day. Life is, as for most folks, very hectic. To be closeted away for three hours simply focusing on music with like-minded people was very therapeutic for me. I have done a lot of singing and other stage type stuff in my time but only been playing sax for 18 months and never in public. I was more nervous than I expected.  My wife couldn’t understand why I was so edgy. But nobody was laughing. We were all in the same boat, and though it is really early days I think we jelled very quickly. At this rate I think I may be able to remove the ‘absolute’ from ‘beginner’ by the 7th April.”
Saxophone Massive has evolved to include performances in the London Jazz Festival, Leeds Fuse Festival and Norwich and Norfolk Festival. Internationally, the project has been staged at Jazz sous les Pommiers in Coutances, France and in Stavanger, Norway, as part of itsEuropean Capital of Culture programme and has had two outings in Switzerland in Stansand Coully.
Philippa Jane, another participant who took part in the first rehearsal said: “I was a bit nervous at first as I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but the deliverance and atmosphere of the workshop was very relaxed and my nerves soon disappeared.  I would 100 per cent recommend (and have actually done so) for any saxophonist to attend as it’s definitely value for money.  I fully enjoyed the workshop and looking forward to the next one. Thank you for the opportunity.”
The project is open to saxophone players of all ages, and previous performances have seen a mix of ages from 7 – 77 with over 200 saxophonists play together at once in the most unusual of spaces. The next rehearsal is Sunday 24th February and then Sunday 24th March before the performance on Sunday 7th April.
For further details on how to join visit  www.thesagegateshead.org/event/saxophone-massive or contact The Sage Gateshead on 0191 443 4661 to register your place.

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