Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Saturday, December 07, 2013

Puppini Sisters @ Sage Gateshead

Marcella Puppini (vcls/uke/acc. sleigh bells), Kate Mullins (vcls, uke, sleigh bells), Emma Smith (vcls, uke, melodica, sleigh bells); + guitar, bass, drums.
(Review by Lance)
The three-tier full Hall Two audience didn't mind the fact that the concert started 45 minutes late.  Accepting the traffic and the weather conditions as fair reason. The mood was festive and it was well worth the wait.
The girls were in good voice and Jingle Bells will never be quite the same again after this sashaying, hip swivelling version - it was certainly fun to ride on this three horse (Derby winners all) open sleigh.
Mister Sandman - reminiscent of The Chordettes - followed by Santa Baby. With three Eartha Kitt's on one stage, man this was as close to heaven as one gets in a lifetime!
All three played ukes with Emma also blowing melodica and Marcella hiding her charms behind an accordion.
As always, the influence of the Andrews Sisters and the Boswell Sister were omnipresent which was no bad thing. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Silent Night, Good Morning, Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart, Winter Wonderland and the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy From Company B all conspired to make this a knock-out first set and, lest I forget, guitar, double bass and drums were right on the money - unfortunately I didn't get their names.
For the second set the girls had changed from the yellow short skirted Sandra Dee outfits into send the men up the wall ensembles! Kate in a sheathe-like gown,  Marcella (above left) in a dress that fitted where it touched and there were few places it didn't touch and Emma in a short figure hugging sparkly affair with a split up the side. This was serious provocation I'm pleased to say.

However, despite all this eye candy, it didn't detract from the musical content which included; All I Want For Christmas is You, a song in French-inspired by Brigette Bardot, Side by Side à la Kay Starr, Tain't What You Do, Let it Snow, Step Into Christmas and several others.
The applause was tumultuous and we left with a festive glow surrounding us and if it had snowed, which it didn't, we'd have happily sang Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow all the way home!
Lance.

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