Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Linskill Centre, North Shields. 4:00-10:30pm. Free, but ticketed (over 18s only). A multi-bill, multi-genre ‘Canny Shiels - North Shields 800’ event. Three Kings Brewery on site.
Sat 28: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 29: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 29: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 3:00pm. Ray McVay & co.
Sun 29: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 29: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 29: Zoë Gilby w. Ryton Choral Society @ Corbridge Middle School NE45 5HX. 5:30pm. £15.00. Gilby w jazz trio & choir. ‘An evening of jazz song for choir’.
Sun 29: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 29: John Wilson & the Sinfonia of London @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Greatest Hits’.
Sun 29: Out Front @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

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, August 02, 2013

RIP Sheila Giles

It is with much sadness that I have to announce the death earlier today of former north east jazz singer Sheila Giles. Sheila was a regular performer on the Newcastle scene for many years in the 1950s and '60s and the Sheila Giles Band was well known on the north-east jazz club circuit. Her voice, very much Bessie Smith orientated, had a rich timbre that could fill a room with or without a microphone and was often compared with Ottilie Patterson.
Prior to becoming established in the jazz world Sheila sang with dance bands such as that of Johnny Openshaw at the Hedworth Hall South Shields.
In recent years she lived down south in the London borough of Ealing where she died in Hanwell House Care Home.
Sheila Giles was thought to be in her early eighties.
In her last hours it is reported staff played jazz records for her right to the end which is how she'd have wanted to go.
Sheila, I'll propose a toast to you tonight with a (virtual) Pigfoot and a (actual) Bottle of Beer.
Rest in Peace.
More photos.
Lance.
PS: I'm not certain of the source of the photo - it may have been John Taylor but it is accompanied by an, in retrospect, emotive message from David Hinge Sheila's ex husband. It was posted last year. 
I'd appreciate it if anyone with photos of Sheila could scan them to me for inclusion in this small tribute.

6 comments :

Steve Andrews said...

Sorry to hear that, Lance. I did lots of gigs with Sheila in the early 1970's, at Bamburgh's Music Hall, the Redhills in Durham with the Savoy Jazzmen (still got some rather grainy photos from 1974 of her singing with the band), and other places in the Newcastle area. She was great fun, and loved to sing slightly risqué songs such as "Ford Engine Movements in My Hips" and "She Had to Go and Lose It At The Astor". I, too, shall raise a glass to her!

Anonymous said...

Sad news. I well remember hearing Sheila singing at jazz clubs when I first got interested in the music. Later when I started playing I got to know her. She was a charismatic performer with a commanding presence and her great love of the music shone through. As has been said already she was very much in the Bessie Smith style. I've good memories of those days.
Roly

Margaret Barnes said...

Sheila and I were very close friends for more years than I care to remember. I have many happy memories of concerts and gigs as Sheila sang with local bands, as well as having her own band for a few years. In 1982 Sheila relocated to London where she gave several concerts. Her pianist at that time was the late Mick Pyne. Although during the last four years Sheila's health had deteriorated, we still managed to speak to each other regularly. I will miss her very much but I am so thankful our paths crossed all those years ago. RIP Sheila.

IndigoBuddha said...

I met Sheila in approx 1988 in London. We were attending a performing arts course in Westbourne Grove/ Ladbroke Grove. She had suffered damage to her nevk and vocal cords and was retraining her voice. One night in a pub where there was a live jazz group playing she got up and sang " Mad about the boy ""
It blew us off our seats. I remained friends with Sheila for a couple of years and then I immigrated. I often wondered about her and tonight I heard a jazz song that made me think of her so I googled her and found this news of her passing. Sad to hear it. A tiny lady with a massive voice. RIP.

Unknown said...

Do you have any recordings of Sheila singing? She was my great Aunty who I only met when I was very young and I would love to learn more about her.

Unknown said...

Helen Hayden. Can you contact me regarding Sheila as I may have some information for you.

Blog Archive