Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,066 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 930 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 31) 109.

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

November

Sat 07: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Ewan Bleach’s Cable Street Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington.
12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Superb band.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Find Your Pocket: Funk & Groove. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café, St James’ Retail Park, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 6:00pm.

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 11: Plague Doctors Cure All + Noonward @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: JANE @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 12: MoonMot + Jack Banjo’s Snackwall @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 12: Ratio: Swingin’ Through the Decades @ The Forum, Darlington. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. A charity fundraiser.
Thu 12: Look Left @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Thu 12: Michael Woods @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Acoustic blues.

Fri 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Giles Strong (guitar); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 13: Lapwing Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Richard Herdman, Jude Murphy, Paula Whitty.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Hexham Lantern Parade, Bandstand, Sele, Hexham. 6:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Sharp Collective @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm.
Fri 13: East Coast Swing Band @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 13: Guisborough Big Band @ Saltburn Golf Club. 7:30pm. Tickets: £15.00 (inc. pie & peas

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Big Band Broadcast from 1969.

Peter Drysdale sent me this YouTube clip of  a 1969 big band led by Ronnie Scott and featuring many well known faces.
How many can you recognise?
Lance.

9 comments :

Simon Spillett said...

This is a Granada TV special titled Getting Sentimental Over You, broadcast on Boxing Day 1969 and introduced by Bill Grundy.

The personnel is Greg Bowen, Hank Shaw, Paul Tongay, Jimmy Deuchar (trumpets); Keith Christie, Chris Pyne, Cliff Hardie, unknown (trombone); Derek Humble (alto); Ronnie Scott (tenor); Johnnie Gray (tenor); Ronnie Ross (bari); Gordon Beck (piano); Lennie Bush (bass); Kenny Clare (drums)

Lance said...

Thanks Simon. It has been suggested that the bearded trumpet player is Ian Carr and the unknown trombone player Mike Gibbs and there are resemblances.

Simon Spillett said...

Sorry....yes it's Mike Gibbs and that IS Ian Carr not Hank Shaw. And it's Ronnie Hughes not Paul Tongay.
Tony Coe is also in the saxes.....just looked it up in Crescendo from the time.

Lance said...

Tony Coe? I'd have put my 5 bob each way on Alan Skidmore but I guess the hair was too dark for Skid jr.

Simon Spillett said...

And he's on alto....

Lance said...

Given the talent in the band the solos weren't spread around very much.

Simon Spillett said...

My mate Louis Barfe confirms that it is Ronnie Stephenson on drums not Kenny Clare....

Louis Barfe said...

According to the February 1970 edition of Crescendo, the line-up is Greg Bowen, Ian Carr, Nigel Carter, Jimmy Deuchar (trumpets); Keith Christie, Mike Gibbs, Chris Pyne, Jimmy Wilson (trombones); Derek Humble, Ron Aspery, Ronnie Scott, Johnnie Gray, Ronnie Ross (saxophones); Gordon Beck (piano), Lennie Bush (bass), Ronnie Stephenson (drums).

Meanwhile I've sent the link to the clip to my friend Johnnie Hamp, for many years head of light entertainment at Granada, and got this response:

"You have made my day! Yes indeed it was one of my shows (whoever put it on Youtube cut the credits!) and I must confess I was being completely self indulgent. A slot became suddenly available for transmission on Boxing day 1969 and I was asked to fill it with whatever I liked. So within a week I put together this bunch of good mates, got together with Bill Grundy to write a script and recorded The Big Band Sound. In addition to the artistes you mention we featured Vince Hill and the wonderful Dickie Valentine (with Mike Parkinson and Irma Ogden looking on!). Ted Heath had just died so Part Two was devoted to his music. In those days no Auto-cue or multitrack recording either! Magic!"

Harry Monty said...

Hi Lance,

What a terrific programme and such a delight to see so many great musicians in their heyday.

Best regards

Harry Monty

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