Bebop Spoken There

Ethan Hawke (starring as Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon): ''Larry [Lorenz] Hart would be so happy that his music and his words and his poetry are still alive.'' - The Northern Echo 27 November 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

18000 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 964 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 24).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sat 06: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 06: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Minor Swing. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 06: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 06: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76 (inc. bf).
Sat 06: Kaberry Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. (inc. hot buffet). ‘Christmas 1945’. Kaberry Big Band, formerly Vermont Big Band.
Sat 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ Platform 1, Bedlington. 7:30pm. £6.00. Rhythm & blues.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. Xmas Party with buffet.
Sat 06: The Jive Aces @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £22.00., £20.00.
Sat 06: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. special guest Donna Hewitt (sax, clarinet).
Sun 07: Finn-Keeble Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Ruth Lambert.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Jason Isaacs Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 5:15pm (4:00pm doors). £21.50 (inc. bf).
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Support set from Play More Jazz! course participants. Note earlier start.

Mon 08: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 09: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm

Wed 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 10: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Mike Lindup Jazz Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £26.50 (inc. bf). Lindup, Yolanda Charles (bass), John Sam (drums).
Wed 10: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00.

Thu 11: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: West Coast (cool ) / Wordsearch (cool) Cool Jazz or ‘Cold’, ‘Cool’, ‘Hot’, ‘Warm’ in the title or lyrics.
Thu 11: George Robinson @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £5.42 (inc. bf). Vienna’s Voice charity evening featuring ’15 year old singing sensation the ‘Redcar Crooner’ George Robinson’. Over 35s only.
Thu 11: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. back tapes.
Thu 11: Ransom Van @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 11: Down for the Count Swing Orchestra @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:30pm. £37.70 (inc. bf). ‘Swing into Xmas’.

Fri 12: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 12: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £15.00. ‘Xmas Soiree’.
Fri 12: A Jazzy Xmas @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax, soprano sax); Matthew Forster (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 12: Tony Hadley: Xmas Big Band Tour 2025 @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Fri 12: Alexia Gardner @ The New Ship Inn, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. 8:00pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy, Abbie Finn.
Fri 12: Jive Aces: Swingin’ Xmas Show @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm.

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, March 09, 2013

The queue forms on the right girls...

The Naturist Foundation Jazz and Real Ale Festival announce the full line-up for their Jazz and Real Ale Festival which takes place from the 27th to the 30th June 2013. The event is the only four day outdoor jazz festival in the UK. Jerry Turner, Music Director of the Festival said “I am very pleased with the programme for this year which features some jazz greats as well as emerging talent. The Thursday evening features young musicians who are establishing a name for themselves such as Yazz Ahmed, Kieren Stickle McLeod and Jack Davies. The rest of the festival includes musicians such as Peter King the greatest alto player in the UK, Frank Griffith and Jean Toussaint from the USA, Vasilis Xenopoulos from Greece, Digby Fairweather, Julian Marc Stringle, Ben Cummings, Byron Wallen, the MJQ Celebration with Karen Sharp, and the solo piano of Keith Nichols over Sunday lunch. A New Orleans style umbrella parade through the grounds is
followed by Harry Strutters Jive and Swing for a fun filled Saturday afternoon.”
The event is clothing optional so non-naturist jazz fans are welcome. Alongside the music marquee is a real ale and cider tent with drinks at around £2.50 a pint. Plenty of reasonable priced food is available.
The Foundation is set in 50 acres of ancient woodland and meadowland and has a covered heated  swimming pool and sauna. Camping packages are available as are day tickets, all offering great value for money. We are near Swanley and Orpington. Free car parking. Full details on www.naturistfoundation.org
The complete line-up is:
Thursday 27th June
7.30 p.m. The Yazz Ahmed Trio.
Yazz Ahmed (trumpet and flugelhorn), Dave Mannington (bass guitar) and Ralph Wyld (Vibes)
8.45 “New World”
Kieran Stickle McLeod (trombone) Joe Wright (tenor) Sam Rapley (tenor) Matt Robinson (piano)
Tom McCredie (bass) and Dave Hamblett (drums).
10.00 Jack Davies’ Flea Circus.
Jack Davies (trumpet) Rob Cope (bass clarinet) Aiden Shepherd (accordion) and James Opstad
(bass)
Friday 28h June
7.30 p.m. The Digby Fairweather Quintet
Digby Fairweather (trumpet) Mick Foster (baritone) Tim Huskisson (piano) Tristan Maillot (drums)
and Len Skeat (bass)
9.30 Frank Griffith’s Hot Club
Frank Griffith (clarinet) Charles Alexander (guitar) Andy Robinson (guitar) and Mick Hutton (bass)
Saturday 29 June
11.00 a.m. Jam Session.
All musicians of whatever standard welcome to have a jam, so bring your instruments with you.
2.15 p.m. Umbrella Parade
Led by Harry Strutters Jive and Swing. Come and join in the parade. Decorated umbrellas especially
welcome.
2.30 Harry Strutters Jive and Swing. GrahamCollicot (drums), Maurice Dennis
(Guitar/Banjo), Michael E t h e r i n g t o n ( T r u m p e t / T r o m b o n e / V o c a l s ) , T o n y C a r t e r
(alto/tenor/baritone/flute), Dave Hardman (bass), Andrew Clancy (piano).
4.30 The Frank Toms Trio with Special Guests Jean Toussaint and Byron Wallen
Jean Toussaint (tenor), Byron Wallen (trumpet) Frank Toms (piano) Elliott Toms (drums) Rob Anstey
(bass)
5.15 Break
7.30 The Frank Toms Trio with Special Guests Jean Toussaint and Byron Wallen
8.30 The MJQ Celebration with Karen Sharp
featuring Nat Steele (vibes), Barry Green (piano), Matt Ridley (bass) and Steve Brown (drums)
with special guest Karen Sharp (tenor)
Sunday 30 June
10.30 Sunday Service
12.15 Keith Nichols (solo piano).
Bring your lunch to the Marquee.
2.30 The Jack Honeyborne Trio with Special Guests
Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor) and Ben Cummings (trumpet) with Jack Honeyborne ( p i a n o ) J i m
Richardson (bass) and Dennis Smith (drums)
4.30 The Peter King Quintet with Special Guest Mornington Lockett
Peter King (alto), Steve Melling (piano), Mark Fletcher (drums) Geoff Gascoyne (bass) Mornington
Lockett (tenor)
5.15 Break
7.30 The Peter King Quartet with Mornington Lockett
8.30 The Julian Marc Stringle Trio
Julian Marc Stringle (Clarinet and Saxes), Chris Dodd (Bass) and Nigel Price (guitar)

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