Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

Thursday, October 03, 2013

Interview with Mary Coughlan.

(Interview by Lance).
BSH: Hello Mary .I’ve just been listening to I’d Rather Go Blind. It’s one of the most powerful performances I've ever heard. When did you first realise you had a voice that would become so unique and highly acclaimed?
MC: I heard that song when I was about 14 ,,,A recording by Chicken Shack & it moved me ,,,However I was 29 before I started singing & I loved it from the very first gig ,,,I actually sang a song in public when I was 4 yrs old & I loved the reaction ,,,
BSH: You work a lot in Ireland but not so much in England. However, I'm pleased to see your current tour includes England and Scotland and my neck of the woods, the north east – you play Darlington’s Forum and Caedman Hall, Gateshead on successive nights. Tell me about the format the tour will take.
MC: In fact I don't work so much in Ireland ,,,,My main source of work for many years was UK .Germany & Scandinavia…These days I go to Australia & New Zealand every year  and I'm off to Finland & Estonia this week ..
BSH: You draw from many different sources for your repertoire, not just the Great American Songbook.
MC: Most of the material I've recorded over the years has been written for me ..Johnny Mulhern wrote Magdalen Laundry & Ice Cream Man
Mark E Nevin wrote Like a Leaf & Red Ribbon ,,,and I've written most of a new cd (not yet released ) with Erik Visser
BSH: How would you describe your music?
MC: I find it hard to describe ,,,so do most people!
I guess its a mixture of Jazz , Blues . basically I take a song & sing it the way I want !
BSH: It’s in the public domain the troubled times you've had, childhood abuse, the jazz/rock & roll lifestyle. Does all this come out when you’re singing?
MC: I guess it does. I wrote a song called Mary Mary (dealing with the abuse on my last CD The House Of Ill Repute …
This new CD will be entirely based on episodes of my life
BSH: Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee and Van Morrison are some of the singers who've been said to have inspired you. Oh yes and Edith Piaf. What did you find to relate to in these and others?
MC: Yes ,,,Mostly Billie Holiday    …..I don't know where the Edith Piaf thing came from ,,,,I don't  ever remember even listening to her ,,but a journalist said I sound like her ?????
BSH: You've been quite outspoken re some other more show biz type of Irish performers what is it that you don’t like about River Dance, The Corrs etc?
MC: I also don't know where that came from ,,,I love the Riverdance & I’ve seen it live about 6 times ,,,Believe it or not The Corrs did support slot for me way back in 1986 on a tour of Ireland
BSH: Thank you Mary you’ve cleared up a few misconceptions and we hope the tour is a great success Look forward to hearing you in Gateshead.
MC: I look forward to being "up north " !!!
Lance.
Mary Coughlan is at the Forum, Darlington on October 16 and Caedman Hall, Gateshead on October 17. Tour Details.
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