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.

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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