Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

18957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 821 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 30.) 100.

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

October.

Sun 04: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Heugh Battery, Hartlepool. 11:00am-12 noon & 1:00-2:00pm.
Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 04: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Bill Watson (trumpet).
Sun 04: Sax Choir w. Rachel Musson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Rivkala + Ceitidh Mac + Thatcher & Knowles @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. A NFOJAIM event.
Sun 04: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. RESCHEDULED from September 27.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £3.00.

Mon 05: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 06: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Paul Grainger (double bass).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 07: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. Second night of two.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 08: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 08: Indigo Jazz Voices w. Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

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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