Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Charlie Parker was my introduction to the religion of music. And so he's always with me .'' - Downbeat November 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

17972 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 936 of them this year alone and, so far, 45 this month (Nov. 14).

From This Moment On ...

November

Sun 16: Jo Harrop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Duo performance.
Sun 16: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. ‘Jazz Sunday’ with special guest PETE TANTON.
Sun 16: Lorne Lofsky-Nigel Price Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Lofsky (guitar); Price (guitar); Jeremy Brown (double bass); Joel Barford (drums).
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: Lorne Lofsky-Nigel Price Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Lofsky (guitar); Price (guitar); Jeremy Brown (double bass); Joel Barford (drums).

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 17: Finn-Keeble Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £6.50.

Fri 21: Tom Remon & Tony Ormesher @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Guitar duo.
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm.
Fri 21: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 21: East Coast Swing Band @ 1856 Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 21: Martin Speake Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 22: Make Music Seminar: Latin American Music vs. Music of Latin America @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 1:00pm. Live performance feat. Jason Holcomb, Alix Shepherd, Carlos Luis Rivera.
Sat 22: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ Berwick Parish Church, Parade, Berwick. 2:00pm. £15.00. A Berwick Music Society concert promotion. Kliphuis (violin), Nigel Clark (guitar), Roy Percy (double bass).
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Bywater Call @ Anarchy Brew Co., Newcastle. 7:00pm. £27.50. Soul/blues.
Sat 22: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Westovian Theatre, South Shields. 7:30pm.

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 15, 2013

Paul Gowland’s Allstars – The Jazz Café 14/12/13

Paul Gowland (Tenor Sax)  Marc Jolliffe (Piano)  Willie Angus (E. Bass) Mark Robertson (Drums).
(Review by Kath Jobes).
The blurb said, “One of Tyneside's top tenors: swings like crazy with a tone fit to blister paint” ...and the new paint at the café was well and truly blistered!    Have You Met Miss Jones was a lively start to the set, Black Nile displayed the technical ability of Gowland, and then Recorda Me exhibited the skill of each of the musicians in turn… wow these guys really are all stars!  Midnight Voyage revealed a melodic sax and tinkling piano, the tenor solo flourished as the sax sung out, and a delightful bass solo from Willie Angus was admired by the appreciative crowd. 
Darn That Dream was beautiful, with interesting changes of feel during the delightful piano solo from Marc Jolliffe, and a superb bass solo from Angus… even the rest of the band stopped to listen.  In Your Own Sweet Way, brought the first set to a light and joyful close as Jolliffe’s skilful fingers danced across the keys.
The second set opened with a seemingly endless Afro Blue, as each musician charmed the attentive audience with their own solo… all noteworthy, superb piano, an almost discordant and chaotic sax, magnificent bass and drums… guys you are in fine fettle.  The arrival of Ray Burns to the Café , looking dapper as ever brought a new sound to the set as he was persuaded to join the band for a tune.  As the exquisite sound of his harmonica introduced Body And Soul, memories of the old café were evoked and jam sessions that will be forever engraved on my mind, with Keith Crombie waxing lyrical about his past exploits in the Jazz world… but I digress… Ray then went on to sing; another rare treat… I have heard his harmonica many times, but rarely his superb singing.   
Beatrice was introduced by another fine bass solo, and before we knew it time had brought us to the final number Chucho, with a blisteringly hot sax, stupendous bass with some cool strumming, magical piano and a smashing drum… joined once more by Ray Burns and his amazing harmonica.
Gowland’s Allstars delighted me and my friend Emma Scott, another saxophonist who just described the night as AWESOME!
Kath J.

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