Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18573 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 437 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 28) 91

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

May

Sat 30: Giles Strong Quartet @ Langley Tracks, Langley on Tyne NE47 5LA. 5:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £1.50 bf.

Sun 31: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 31: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 31: Sinfonia of London: Tea Dance @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. Free. John Wilson ensemble performing on the concourse. Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George & Ira Gershwin & more.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76.
Sun 31: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 31: Ben Haskins Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

June

Mon 01: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Mon 01: CW Stoneking @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Blues, Americana.

Tue 02: Mark Williams Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00.
Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 02: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Postmodern Jukebox @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Thu 04: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 05: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05-Thu 11: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne. Screenings TBC.
Fri 05: Pete Tanton & Alan Law @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05: House of the Black Gardenia: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). House of the Black Gardenia evening performance. Day 1/3.
Fri 05: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band + IKS Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £24.00. Big band double bill. IKS Big Band (Germany).
Fri 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Henchmen Sextet @ Sage Gateshead August 30

Arthur Higgins (ten); James Harrison (pno); Tim Bloomer (gtr); Katie Trigger (bs); James Carmichael (dms); Belinda Voshtina (vcl).
(Review by Lance, photos by Paul Anthony Ennis.)
It does your heart good to hear young guys(and gals) playing jazz that swings and jumps and rocks. These six know where it's at  and deliver the goods as only musicians, however young, can do after long hours of practice. Clifford Brown's Sandu got the show rolling with kickass solos from James and Tim and some sublimity from Arthur to keep the temperature just below boiling point. Belinda sang Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You and Georgia on my Mind  with once again good solos all round.
More standards, a blast on Watermelon Man, a superb In a Sentimental Mood from Higgins, Blue Skies from Belinda closing with a piano vocal duo on I'm Thru With Love. This is one of the all time greats of popular song and, whilst Belinda gave it her best shot, I thought it could perhaps have been sung a semitone lower.
Interval, re-charging of glasses, socialising, then onto a very different second set.
Katie exchanged her upright bass for bass guitar and the band moved into jazz/rock territory. Herbie Hancock and Pee Wee Ellis provided some good rocking stuff before Belinda sang that song from Porgy and Bess. Hopefully, come Sunday, it will be out of season and we will be hit, instead, with Autumn Leaves! No offence Belinda, you sang it beautifully probably as good as any of the other 10,000 singers who sing it beautifully. Mr PC was an uptempo swinger that gave everyone a chance to shoot for the stars.
Belinda came back for Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying, Love is Kinda Crazy and Contain My Heart before the band blasted out Tenor Madness which had a great call and response section between Harrison and Higgins before Carmichael was let loose at the kit.
This was a very good gig by the young musicians who, with encouragement, represent the future - don't knock them!
Lance.
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3 comments :

Anonymous said...

the link to photos doesn't work! :(

Tuesday, September 03, 2013 11:20:00 am
Lance said...

Settings changed - try again. Please let me know what happens.

Tuesday, September 03, 2013 11:46:00 am
Anonymous said...

Thanks Lance!

Tuesday, September 03, 2013 10:27:00 pm

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