Total Pageviews

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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

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.

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

Friday, July 19, 2013

Vintage Tea Dance With Jazz Bands : 150 Years of the Co-operative Society The Great Hall, Discovery Museum, Newcastle; July 17

The Blue Jazz Quintet: Chris Finch (keys); Karen Rann, Jeff Smith (saxes); Dave Parker (double bass); Michael Howard (drums)
Strictly Smokin’ Big Band with Lindsay Hannon and James Hedley (vocals)
Sorry, don’t know the big band names except for Chris Finch (keys, again!) and Paul Gowland (sax)
(Review by Ann Alex)
This was a wonderfully enjoyable do involving a celebration of the co-op, great value for your £5 ticket, with the money going towards this years’ co-op charity, a carers’ organisation. And the music to enhance the occasion was jazz, supplied as above. Jazz musicians sure do get around! The Great Hall itself is a joy to see, finely decorated in an Art Deco or maybe Art Nouveau style – sorry I’m no interior design expert. About 200 people gathered, many of them being ladies from co-op committees or ex-employees, and Tyne Tees Television were present doing interviews. Apparently the hall used to be part of the co-op warehouse in former days, and there was a stall with items from the co-op archives.
The event began at 4pm with a wine reception, then high tea of sandwiches and delicious cakes was served at 5pm. Meanwhile the BJQ struck up with a whole schedule of well known jazz tunes, beginning with Fly Me To The Moon; A Foggy Day In London Town; All Of Me; Girl From Ipanema; My Funny Valentine; Summertime (note to Lance, thankfully not sung!) Don’t think I heard Tea For Two, but I may have missed it when I was drinking mine.
Strictly Smokin’ Big Band brought out the dancers in force, quicksteps especially, entertaining to watch such skilled footwork. Lindsay certainly knows how to dress for the occasion, and today it was a figure-hugging dress with a dark-coloured front panel, 1950’s style quaffed hair and elegant shoes, a stunning look. Straighten Up And Fly Right started off the songs, followed by Orange Coloured Sky; How High The Moon; A Tisket A Tasket (with the men of the band joining in); Too Darn Hot (and it was!). James Hedley treated us to Nice Work If You Can Get It; Wonderwall; Almost Like Being In Love. The band did some numbers such as Favourite Things; Bye Bye Blackbird; Have You Met Miss Jones; Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me. And all this was interspersed with a raffle with generous prizes such as weekends away, but I didn’t win, shame.
All this was an excellent example of jazz contributing well to a social occasion, jazz in a wider context. Anyone fancy doing a dissertation on this subject? I bet it’s already been done.
Ann Alex

2 comments :

Unknown said...

Thanks Ann. If anyone is interested the big band were:

Steve Summers, Nadiah Killick, Paul Gowland, Jamie Toms and Niall Armstrong on Saxes.

Gordon Marshall, Michael Lamb, Pete Tanton and Thomas Hill on Trumpets.

Mark Ferris, Alex Leathard, Robert Perry and Mr John Flood on 'bones.

Chris Finch, Pawel Jedrzejewski, Michael Went and Guy Swinton in the Rhythm Section.

Vox from Lindsay Hannon and James Hedley.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Michael, so you were on trumpet, and I've since met Steve Summers during the jam at the Star on Wednesday.
Ann Alex

Blog Archive