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

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Nubiyan Twist @ Digital, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £28.75 (inc. bf).
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 7:30pm. Date, time & admission TBC.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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.
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.
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!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Steinway Festival @ Pizza Express, Dean St., Soho. March 21.

Jason Rebello & Dave Newton - Gabor Cseke & James Nagy - Alex Wilson & Cesar Correa +  Will Fry (perc.); Elpidio Caicado (bs). (Piano duos).
(Review by Lance.)
With Dave Newton and Jason Rebello opening the batting we knew this was going to be a mighty fine way to treat a couple of Steinways! Dreamy and reflective they meandered down Green Dolphin Street building it up then gently letting it down. This was no cutting contest but a respectful mutual admiration society as they bounced phrases off each other. Katie's Song, written by Newton for his daughter, is a gorgeous theme that exudes the love that surely inspired it.
Herbie Hancock's little known Just No Use had a long, introspective intro by Rebello but it was Hello Blackbird - think about the title - that brought the house down At times, I swear, they were playing twenty note chords which makes for a big fat blackbird!
A short break and a chance to chat to Sue and John on my adjoining table as well as downing a Peroni and finishing my Margherita pizza before the next duo.
After my pizza I wasn't hungry but the guys on stage were - from Hungary.
Gabor Cseke and James Nagy didn't let the temperature fall with a program that verged, at times, on the classical but with lots of modern harmonies, blues phrasing and even bebop lines on a piece by Liszt! 
Sue and John were waxing eloquently about Alex Wilson and justifiably so! In tandem with Peruvian Cesar Correa plus bass and percussion they gave Besame Mucho a workout the like of which I'm sure it had never known before. Kiss me again, besame mucho is how the song goes - believe you me they did a lot more than kiss - they made mad passionate love to the beautiful instruments!
This was Latin piano taken to the limit! and this was a Pier 6 brawl with both pianists going for the jugular helped along by the magnificent rhythms of the percussionist and the bass guitarist - Will Fry and Senor Elpidio Caicado.
When Wilson made reference to his sax-playing best mate who toured the world with Stevie Winwood I knew who he was talking about - Paul Booth. Later, talking to Alex, it turns out Paul was Alex's best man! - Small world.
Lance.
PS: Don't bring your kids with you - they'll want a Steinway for Xmas and Santa will never get it down the chimney. Come to think about it, how did they get two of the thoroughbreds down into the Pizza Express basement? Down the old side entrance staircase I guess.
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