Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Thu 08: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones of 1976.

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
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: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Sunday, December 01, 2013

Jitterbug Vipers & Bluebuds @ Live Theatre. November 30.

Sarah Sharp (vcl); Slim Richey (gtr); Nancy Meaux Jeaux (Mojo); Masumi Jones (dms).
(Review by Lance)
The Jumpin' Hot Club rarely fail to deliver and this session in Live Theatre's Studio 24 up on the third floor was no exception.
The Jitterbug Vipers from Austin, Texas, are nothing if not jam-packed full of talent. Slim Richey, grey bearded survivor of a near fatal road accident, compiler of The Viper's Dictionary and guitarist par excellence, dished out the chords and the solos with apparent ease. Masumi Jones, attractive Japanese chick nicknamed "The Tokyo Tsunami", proved that neither geography nor gender matter if a drummer can swing - Masumi can swing!
"Mojo" is just about the most extrovert bassist I've yet encountered whooping and hollering as the mood takes her even if it's a dreamy ballad! Her quote, "We 're not a jazz band we're a 1930s rock band" more or less sums up the music. 
Sarah Sharp not only looks good but sings good with a voice to match. With Sarah singing to you who needs marijuana? She also wrote much of the material.
As the band's name implies, marijuana's at the core of their repertoire. When You're High, Sweet Lotus Blossom and Viper Moon being typical examples. The latter song being a beautiful ballad conjuring up weed inspired images.
Other numbers included Harry the Hipster Gibson's Who Put the Benzedrine in Mrs Murphy's Ovaltine?; What a Little Moonlight Can Do, Blue Skies, Dangerous, That Was Just the Sauce Talking and several others each one a gem.
The majority of the program was from their latest CD Phoebe's Dream and is to be recommended.
Earlier, Bluebuds (Justin Boulton (vocals, guitar & banjo), Kirk Boulton (vocals, guitar, mandolin & fiddle) & Dan Charlton (double bass).blew in from Teesside for a solid support set. It was a good set. I particularly liked Alabama Hightail and the line, "They'll put me in the slammer if they catch me with that Alabama Hightail!" - priceless.
Chapeaux Live Theatre and Jumpin' Hot Club for a great evening.
Lance.

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