Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 21: Andrzej Baranek Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. £8.00. Andrzej Baranek (piano); Josh Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: David Gray Flextet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 21: Errol Linton & His Band + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Excellent blues double bill.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Big Bear Stompers @ Customs House South Shields May 10.

Dave Moorwood (ldr/bjo/vcl); Andy Woon, Tony Davis (tpts); Gavin Lee (clt/sop); Bob Wilson (tmb); Perry Lock (pno); John Arthy (tuba); Andy Crisp (vcl); Judy Eames (vcl).
(Review by Lance.)
In the beginning there was King Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band in New Orleans, then, 20 or more years later, his music was revived in San Francisco by Lu Waters' Yerba Buena Jazz Band whose re-creation was itself revived by the Big Bear Stompers in the Midlands (UK). in 1989 - they have been stomping ever since or as one of the numbers went, Charlestoning Back to Charleston!
Tonight was rather special for the audience at the Customs House as, depping on clarinet and soprano was Gavin Lee who hails from but a few miles down the coast. This was his first time with the band and he soloed and read the parts (yes music stands to the fore) as if he'd been a founder member!
The two trumpets worked well together their contrasting styles complementing each other. Andy Woon the more flamboyant, Davis a little more restrained but effective in his own way. Bob Wilson slid nicely into the front line and leader Moorwood was full of jollity and banjo and vocal on the aforementioned Charleston number. This really was Goodtime Jazz,
The engine room chomped and stomped, Lock played idiomatic piano, Arthy the tuba, hidden behind the monster supplied the pulse and Crisp did the business, temple blocks and all.
Judy Eames on vocal gave us Squeeze Me, My Honey's Lovin' Arms, Gulf Coast Blues, Milenberg Joys, Trouble in Mind - a splendid version of Too Busy and You Ain't the One which featured the horns doing 8s, 4s, 2s, that worked well.
Instrumentals included Irish Black Bottom, C'mon and Stomp, Delta Moon,, Buddy's Habits, Midnight Stomp, Working Man Blues and a Moorwood original, Emperor Norton's Hunch.
It was a good session and if you missed it, catch them at Trinity Church and Centre, Gosforth High Street tonight (Saturday May 11)
Lance.

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