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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

June

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: 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 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest TBC.
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

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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