Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,057 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 921 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 29) 100.

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

October.

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 31: Saltburn Big Band + Durham Alumni Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Sat 31: East Coast Swing Band @ Cramlington Village Club, Park View, Cramlington NE23 6QJ. 7:30pm. £10.00. (from venue).

November

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Donna Hewitt (tenor sax, clarinet)
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Sarah Heneghan Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 03: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. guest tba
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.
Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: An Evening of Erykah Badu @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 7:30pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Cut Capers @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).
Thu 05: Northern Reaches @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Pete Tanton, Joe Steels, Laurence Blackadder, John Hirst.
Thu 05: Fergus McCreadie @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

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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