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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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, June 22, 2013

Rae Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band @ Jazz at the Fell. June 21

Dave Rae (banjo & vocals), Liz Bacon (clarinet), Jim Blenkin (trombone & vocals), John Robinson (double bass) & Paul Bacon (drums)
(Review by Russell)
Gateshead British Legion, the current home to Jazz at the Fell, sweltered on this mid summer night. The Rae Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band, staunch supporters of the jazz club over many years, fulfilled this most recent engagement as a quintet due to Mac Rae being indisposed. Dave Rae remarked that many years ago he worked with the Mighty Joe Young band but a stone’s throw along the road at the Honeysuckle pub (long-since closed and due to open as an open-all-hours ‘express’ supermarket). He further remarked that Alan Price turned up to hear the band. On hearing this a wag at the Legion asked: Aye, but did he stay?
Price, Burdon and co were nowhere to be seen at the Legion, those present were hard core regulars. The Rae Brothers played it strict New Orleans and Brahms’ Cradle Song set the tempo. Dave Rae took the vocal on Dinah and again on WC Handy’s Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor. Legendary names - George Lewis, Sammy Morgan - peppered Rae’s informative and entertaining introductions, not least a thumb-nail sketch of prolific Tin Pan Alley composer Harry MacGregor Woods. The tunesmith’s I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover (1927) illustrated tight ensemble work, the fine front line playing of Liz Bacon, clarinet and  Jim Blenkin, trombone and Paul Bacon’s master class of New Orleans’ style drumming.
From New Orleans to Ascot. What? Yes, Ascot. A late comer marched in wearing a top hat. Well, one does, doesn’t one? A spiritual dating from 1892 put us on Higher Ground and we strode to the interval bar with Marie. Another Guinness, a strip of raffle tickets and the Brolly Dollies were readying themselves to strut their stuff.
We Shall Walk Through the Streets of the City (Rae vocals) vied for the tune of the night (standing comparison with Rendezvous Jazz’ reading of the number earlier in the day). Liz Bacon’s clarinet shone on St Louis Blues and Dave Rae’s vocals on Punch Miller’s Long Distance Blues were worth travelling a distance to hear. An evening of first class New Orleans’ jazz. Next Friday (June 28) get along to the Legion to hear the Vieux Carré Jazzmen.        
Russell.              

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