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

Monday, April 15, 2013

Listening to Louis on Radio 2

Listening to the BBC archive recording of Humph and Wynton Marsalis talking about Louis Armstrong.
Very interesting. they also pose the question of favourite Louis recordings. so here are mine.
Hot Five: Cornet Chop Suey. This told me he could get around the horn. (I was 15 year old playing 3rd cornet in a brass band and it hit me that this guy could carve our solo cornet with ease!).
Interestingly, Humph and Wynton talk about South Shields cornet maestro George Swift who died in 1985. One wonders if jazz really began in South Shields?
Orchestra: Swing That Music. Now on trumpet and singing, this was, for me, the best of the often maligned big band recordings.
All Stars (Teagarden): The New York Town Hall Concert the gig that told the world that Louis was back in Jazzland.
All Stars (Trummy): Satch Plays W.C. Handy. Possibly the greatest version of St. Louis Blues ever!
Vocal: A Kiss to Build a Dream on can't be beat.
Maybe you'd like to suggest some of yours.
Lance.
Available here for 7 days.

4 comments :

Roly said...

My favourite, among all the gems, is the 1928 duet with Earl Hines 'Weather Bird'. Other favourites - Savoy Blues 1927 with the great Lonnie Johnson. 1947 All Stars with Teagarden 'Stars Fell on Alabama' possibly one of the most moving tracks in all of jazz?

Miles said...

Hi Lance yes I heard it, it was great, as for favourites where do I start he never made a bad record.
Hotter Than That - Hot Five with Lonnie Johnson.
Jack Armstrong Blues - All Stars with Jack Teagarden.
When You're Smiling - Autobiography LP. (Reserved for my funeral.)
Stars Fell On Alabama - Ella & Louis.
What A Wonderful World - Even as an old man still turning dross into gold.

CCJAZZMEN said...

Hi Lance, now this is a hard one so much good stuff out there.

1) Cornet Chop Suey (Rec 1926) (The Hot Five)
This is a recording that any young aspiring jazz trumpet player should listen and learn from, it's all there, and Louis way ahead of his time, no one else was playing like this at that time.

2) When Your Smiling (Rec 1929) (His Orchestra)
Once again Louis playing things here, that no one else was doing, that last chorus out, where he is playing those fat top E's and holding the melody up an octave, is difficult to sustain to this day.

3) Back O'Town Blues (Rec 1947) (The All Stars)
From the town hall concerts, with Jack Teagarden, this recording reminds me so much of some of the things I have to deal with at Ned Kelly's, just listen to how Louis put's the heckler in his place, (Shut Up "Boy") absolute magic, plus a great vocal from Louis, wonderful atmosphere and fun.

4) Ella & Louis (Rec 1956)
This is a wonderful album, and sounds as fresh today, as if it was recorded just recently, two of the top entertainers of their time, and a great rhythm section with Oscar Peterson.

5) For this Lance I agree with you,for his output in the 1960's, I would have to go with Give Me A Kiss to Build A Dream On, this and What A Wonderful World are still very popular in Hong Kong with many young people, and every night we get requests for both, but for me it is A Kiss To Build A Dream On.

Colin Aitchison
Bandleader
Ned Kelly's Last Stand
Hong Kong.

DAVE kERR said...

Hi Lance,
It is very difficult to make a choice but probably my favourite solo is the two twelve bar choruses in Savoy Blues recorded late at night after presumably a long night playing a gig.
Also do not overlook his early efforts with Fletcher Henderson he plays a wonderful solo on Why Couldn't It Be Poor little Me.
From the 193O's his huge out put makes it almost impossible to select but I always loved the relaxed playing on Song Of The Islands.

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