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Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 2025).

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

17864 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 185 of them this year alone and, so far,32 this month (March10).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tues 11: Solea @ Earthlings, the Healing Café, 94 Buckingham St., Newcastle, NE4 5QR. 7:00-8:45pm. Food available if ordered before 6:30pm. New band: Johannes Dalhuijsen (tenor sax, bass clarinet); Richard Herdman (guitar); Nick Bagnall (bass guitar); John Hirst (drums).
Tue 11: Giles Strong Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: The Exu + Matt Cliffe @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 13: Oh La La! @ Allendale Village Hall, Northumberland. 7:30pm. £12.00.; £6.00. child. Fifi La Mer (accordion, vocals), Oliver Wilby (reeds).
Thu 13: Fiona Finden’s Jazz Express @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 14: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Taylor @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00-2:00pm. £5.00. at the door. Second Friday in the month lunchtime concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Brass Funkeys + Dilutey Juice @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Oh La La! @ Edmundbyers Village Hall, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. £12.00.; £10.00. (additional £5.00. supper option, ordered in advance). Fifi La Mer (accordion, vocals), Oliver Wilby (reeds).
Fri 14: The Collective @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £8.50.
Fri 14: Bridget Metcalfe Quintet @ St George’s Venue, Park Road, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.

Sat 15: Hot Teapots @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 15: Creakin’ Bones @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Is This Jazz? @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk. Performances by Mu Quintet, Jinjé, A Brief Utopia, John Pope & Co + André Marmot (author of Unapologetic Expression: The Inside Story of the UK Jazz Explosion) in conversation + DJ sets ‘til 3:00am. ‘A Festival of New Jazz’.
Sat 15: Vintage Explosion @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 15: Alligator Gumbo @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Sat 15: One Night Standards @ The White Room, Stanley. 8:00pm. £8.67 (inc. bf). Note - previously advertised Salty Dogs cancelled.
Sat 15: Howlin’ Mat @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Blues guitar.

Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: Pearl Blossoms @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime.
Sun 16: Hot 8 Brass Band @ Wylam Brewery. 7:30pm. ‘Big Tuba Tour’.
Sun 16: ARQ @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 16: Air4ce @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (8:00pm doors). £12.00.; £10.00. Tom Atkinson’s all-star band (line-up inc. Lindsay Hannon & Sue Ferris).
Sun 16: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Jamie Toms Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Harlem Hot Stompers @ Boston Spa December 14

John Ronnan (trombone), Bill Smith (clarinet), John Reade (piano), Ian McCann (banjo & guitar), Grant Taylor (drums), Dave Taylor (clarinet) & Dave Parr (bass).
(Review by Ray Robson).
Where better to feel full of the Christmas spirit than to join the party with our friends at Boston Spa? We headed south full of "joie de vivre" .....the high street awash with seasonal decorations had us whistling carols as we entered the hall, with another full house - many in Xmas hats & with balloons aplenty - tempting us to dream of that nowadays elusive White Christmas.
A rousing start led us to Dallas Blues then the classic Gatemouth before a spot of Riverside Blues. John Reade on piano gave a virtuoso solo of the 1899 Kerry Mills’ Whistling Rufus, before the full band reconvened to The Blues my Naughty Sweetie Gives to me;  Spencer Williams’ Tishomingo Blues & a very lively East Coast Trot. How to close the set?  The redoubtable Bill Smith sang us out with Down by the Riverside........
The Stompers are led by a superb front line, we knew Bill Smith from great Savannah Jazz Band nights but John Ronnan was for us a newcomer (I'm sure he'll like that term !) who for us was the star of the night. Dave Taylor is a recent "transfer market" addition after the sad loss in April of Band Leader Tony Foulkes, but he knitted seamlessly into the "team". Behind every good front line is a solid rhythm section, no exception in the Stompers, a very tight performance by John, Ian, Dave & "young" Grant.
A splendiferous sumptuous banquet of a buffet did the Spa proud but left us feeling like seasonal birds must on the morning itself ....well done to all though, impeccable organisation as always!
I digress ...to the music ....High Society opened the second set with Saint James Infirmary Blues (ft vcl JT) rousing the crowd....no brollies indoors to partake in Bourbon Street Parade unfortunately, but singers aplenty as we joined with John Reade to singalonga Christmas ...the old favourites tripping off the tongue ...White Christmas, Good King Wenceslas, Silent Night,  Winter Wonderland, Rudolph, Jingle Bells then finally We Wish you a Merry Christmas .....we were transported back to the family Christmas's of yesteryear, the family singing around the piano ...memories are indeed made of this as they say.
Still time for a few more, Doctor Jazz (a poignant tribute to Tim who helped make Jazz at the Spa what its is today), a full band Jingle Bells then back to jazz with Avalon, Please don’t talk about us when we are gone (sic), & finally a splendid Tiger Rag drew a well deserved rousing applause in gratitude of a great night.
Time to put away the hats - for now - & head into the night, but with that warm feeling inside that nights like this provide you with.
Ray Robson
Next Jazz at the Spa 4th Jan Savannah Jazz Band, then 11 Jan Kid Boyd Jazz Band, 18 Jan Tame Valley Stompers, 26 Jan Alan Barnes, John Hallam & the Tom Kinkaid trio


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