Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Colltrane 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

18947 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 811 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 28.) 90.

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

September.

Tue 29: Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat ‘King’ Cole @ Hepscott Parish Hall. 7:30pm. . £15.00., £12.00. (Early Bird advance ticket), £10.00. Off-Broadway production feat. Duane Forrest.
Tue 29: Red Kites Jazz @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller's Rest, Cockerton, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. For one week only the rehearsal night will be at the Traveller's Rest (open to the public).
Wed 30: Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat ‘King’ Cole @ The Hearth, Horsley. 7:30pm. £15.00., £12.00. (Early Bird advance ticket), £10.00. Off-Broadway production feat. Duane Forrest.
Wed 30: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 30: New Ways of Moving in the Counterworlds + Juliana Day & Manon McCoy + Helen Anahita Wilson @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. A BBC Introducing-Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

October

Thu 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Rivkala @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 01: Hot Club de Heaton @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 01: The Scenic Route @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Alison Gill + Markrokosmos @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music (NFOJAIM).
Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Gilby & Hunter + Andy Champion @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. The Abbie Finn Trio augmented by Dean Stockdale (piano).
Fri 02: Alexia Gardner Trio @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 02: Zoe Rahman Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 8:00pm. NFOJAIM. SOLD OUT!

Sat 03: New Orleans Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Gavin Lee & co.
Sat 03: Anemone Quartet + Jeepe Zeeburg @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Caravan. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Free. Excellent blues band.
Sat 03: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.50 (inc. bf). Two sets: 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. ‘Swing Band Dance Night’.
Sat 03: Olie Brice Quartet + Alexander Hawkins + Harper Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

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: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Monday, December 23, 2013

Gig/CD of the Year reminder.

As the year draws to a close and the gigs with them it seems that now is the time to reflect and make your choices of Gig of the Year or CD of the Year. I've made my choices known - let us know yours. I'm sure you've all listened to at least one CD and been to a gig or three so don't hang about.
Lance.

8 comments :

cptfinch said...

Trilok Gurtu, Paolo Fresu, Omar Sosa at the Sage was by far my favourite of the year Lance

Anonymous said...

The CD that I'm enjoying most isn't a new one but its new to me. Ed Bickert & Don Thompson 'At the Garden Party'. Its a gem and has some of the nicest lyrical/harmonic guitar playing I've ever heard. Amazing - he's like two guitar players at once. He has the ability to play nimbly yet drop off a chord (complete with inner voice movements) from any single note he happens to be on, yet sustaining the legato melody note on top. Jim Hall could do that too. Fantastic!
Been to a few very nice gigs and one I particularly enjoyed was Graeme Wilson's Quartet at L&P about 3 months back.
Roly

Kath Jobes said...

Hi Lance,

My gig of the year has to be the Lindsay Hannon Plus at the Sage Jazz Cafe... Just Superb, and my CD of the year has to be Zoe Gilby's Twelve Stories... again a really good compilation and a great addition to my collection. Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year xx

Hugh Cochrane said...

Slightly expanding the territory - gig of the year: The Impossible Gentlemen at Zeffirelli's, Ambleside.
CD of the year: Internationally Recognised Aliens, by the same band.
(Hugh, the territory has no bounds - Lance)

John Taylor said...

My CD of the year (which I have really enjoyed over the festive period) is Clare Teals "Jing-jing-a-ling"
So stylistic & featuring many "Great American Xmas" tracks:-
http://www.jazzandjazz.com/2013/11/clare-teal-releases-jing-jing-a-ling/
Gig of the year has to be Martin Taylor & Martin Simpson at the Portland Ashington as part of Ashington Town Councils Music festival. Many thanks to Mick Slaughter & Stephen Humphrey from the Town Council for all the work organising it all. Initially they asked me for ideas for a national artist who would be suitable for the jazz element of the festival. My three suggestions were a choice between Stacey Kent, Clare Teal or Martin Taylor. I think they ended up with an ideal gig which cleverly crossed the jazz and folk genres

Ken Drew said...

Gigs of the Year
1. Marilyn Crispell & Raymond Mcdonald
2. Arun Ghosh
3_ Paul Dunmall
3_ Laura Jurd

stevebfc said...

Gigs of the Years
1. Arun Ghosh (The Sage)
2. Ollie Howell Quintet (The Bridge)
3. Courtney Pine (Hoochie Coochie)

Albums of the year
1.John Escreet - Sabotage and Celebration
2 World Service Project - Fire in the Pet Shop
3. Foreign Motion -In Flight

Steve H

Tony Eales said...

Hi Lance

Been on my travels again this year, here's my choices.

Gigs of the year

1. Igor Butman - Moscow Jazz Orchestra at Wigan Jazz Festival.

2. Bobby Shew & The La Big Band at the LA jazz festival.

3. Tommy Smith & The SNJO play Kenton at the Queens Hall Edinburgh

CD's

1. Igor Butman - Sheherazade Tales

2. Tommy Smith & The SNJO - In The Spirit of The Duke

3. Zoe Gilby - Twelve Stories

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