Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 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

18721 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 585 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 18) 49

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

July

Sat 25: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. Cheek to Cheek - Ella Fitgerald. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café (within Next), MetroCentre, Gateshead. 2:00-3:00pm. Free.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Bright Street Big Band @ Sandhaven Amphitheatre, South Shields. 3.30-5.30pm.
Sun 26: Jo Harrop & Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.
Sun 26: King Bees @ Luckies, Jesmond, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: Liam & Shayo @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Liam Oliver (guitar), Shayo Oshodi (vocals).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ Music Dept., Durham University. 9:15pm. A Durham Fringe Festival event

Thu 30: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £6.50.
Thu 30: 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 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Milne Glendinning Band @ Repas 7 by Night, Berwick. 8:00-9:00pm. £6.00. A Berwick Fringe Festival event. £6.00 (£6.00 wristband access to all Fringe events).

Monday, June 24, 2013

James Harrison Quartet @ The Cherry Tree.

James Harrison (pno); Ian Simpson (gtr); James Robson (bs); Dave Donnelly (dms).
(Review by Lance)
The Cherry Tree these days seems to be a home from home for our top pianists. Paul Edis, Jeremy McMurray, Alan Glen, Alan Law, Dean Stockdale, Peter Gilligan and Stuart Collingwood have all appeared here. James Harrison has done solo gigs here but this was a first appearance with his quartet.
Was he intimidated by his peers? If he was it didn't show.
A first rate performance by a young man who can hold his own in any company, tonight was an absolute delight.
Apart from James, Ian Simpson continues to develop and he too is becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Robson is rapidly moving up the league of bass players and Donaldson kept to brushes all evening without any loss of swing.
On One Note Samba, Harrison described Donnelly's solo as "The quietest drum solo in the world." Paradoxically, it drew the loudest applause. There may be a moral in there somewhere!
The program contained a selection of well worn standards that didn't hurt at all. Good jazz musicians can make a purse out of a sow's ear - not that there were any sow's ears on the menu Although, maybe there was as I started with Pork and Pistachio Terrine.
On the stand we heard Autumn Leaves, So Nice, All of Me, Lullaby of Birdland, My Funny Valentine, Ain't Misbehavin, Fly Me To The Moon and Twisted - complete with the Wardell Gray/Annie Ross solo played note perfect by Harrison.
My Rump Steak was served up medium which was the tempo for Sunny. A Train was a little faster,  Killer Joe was a killer and amazingly a number that sounded a bit like Rockin' Chair was played up tempo - if it was Rockin' Chair no wonder "Dear old Aunt Harriet is up in Heaven"! Excellent.
Some Day my Prince Will Come and Canteloupe Island rounded off my visit as did my Lemon Posset with Hedgerow Berries and Meringue.
Harrison, Simpson and Robson are members of Dropping Bombs who are playing on the concourse at Sage Gateshead this coming Friday (June 28)- a free gig - don't miss it.
Lance.
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