Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Francis Tulip: ''Music speaks louder than words''. (Jazzwise, June 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

17,550 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 514 of them this year alone and, so far, 92 this month (June 28).

From This Moment On ...

JULY 2025

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Hopper-Watson Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. + £1.00. bf.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 10: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Soloists, Orchestras & Hot Fives.
Thu 10: Side Café Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 11: Paul Skerritt Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church, Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00. A Bishop Auckland Jazz promotion. New venue (second Friday in the month)!
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Beehive, Earsdon NE25 0SZ. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Fiona Finden Jazz Express @ Flash House Brewery, North Shields NE30 1DS. 8:00pm. Free.

Sat 12: Jazz Stage @ Mouth of the Tyne Festival. From 12 noon. Free. Vieux Carré Jazzmen (12 noon); Rendezvous Jazz (1:00pm); Mississippi Dreamboats (2:00pm); Classic Swing (3:00pm); Abbie Finn Trio (4:00pm). Stage adjacent to Tynemouth Priory.
Sat 12: Making Music Seminar: Latin American Music v. Music of Latin America @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 1:00pm. £15.00. (£5.00. online). Jason Holcomb, Alix Shepherd & Carlos Luis Rivera.
Sat 12: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Lovaine Community Garden, North Shields. 7:00pm (doors 6:40pm). £6.00. Limited places, booking essential (via the Community Garden website). BYOF&D.
Sat 12: Hot Club du Nord @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Hall Two.
Sat 12: Sleep Suppressor @ Repas 7 by Night, Berwick. 8:00pm.
Sat 12: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle.8:00pm. Free. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Jazz Stage @ Mouth of the Tyne Festival. From 11:00am. Free. Trilogy of Four (11:00am); East Coast Jazzmen (12:10pm); Delta Prophets Trio (1:20pm); House of the Black Gardenia (2:30pm); Mouth of the Tyne All Stars (3:40pm). Stage adjacent to Tynemouth Priory.
Sun 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free. ‘The Bandstand Sessions’.
Sun 13: Julie Dexter @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm (doors). £20.00. ‘The Cluny Matinee Jazz Club’.
Sun 13: ’58 Jazz Collective, Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 2:00pm. Tea Dance. SOLD OUT! A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sun 13: Ferg Kilsby @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Kilsby (trumpet, flugelhorn); Luis Verde (alto sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Hirst (drums).
Sun 13: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Sloth Racket @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 14: Brass Bash @ Hardwick Park, Co. Durham. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Mon 14: Brass Bash @ The Story, Mount Oswald, Co. Durham. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.

Tue 15: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Sluice. Tel: 0191 237 3697. 12:30pm. ‘July Jazz Barbecue’. Tickets: £15.00.
Tue 15: Brass Bash @ Hackworth Park, Shildon, Co. Durham. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Tue 15: Brass Bash @ The Witham, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Tue 15: Julian Lage Trio @ 1856 Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm . Lage (guitar); Jorge Roeder (double bass); Joey Barron (drums).
Tue 15: Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm.
Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.

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

Monday, January 27, 2014

Jazz North East All-Day Jazz Extravaganza @ Bridge Hotel and Jazz Café











(Review/Photos -l/r - by Lance)
A day of many highs and only one low. Set in two venues within walking distance of each other Jazz North East presented 16 different line-ups in an attempt to fill the coffers left bare by the lamentable decision of the "Arts Council" to withdraw funding. The artists gave their services free and it is to be hoped the event was a financial success as well as an artistic one.
Both venues were never less than near full with audiences moving back and forth between the two according to their stylistic preferences. Split evenly between straight ahead jazz and the current improv scene - several artists such as Jason Yarde, Corey Mwamba, Andy Champion and John Pope were at home in both genres - the programming avoided clashes between the two.
Too much to review in detail save to say all acquitted themselves admirably. Zoe Gilby (with Andy Champion, bass, Mark Williams, guitar and Adrian Tilbrook, drums), gave an impressive opening set. Matt Anderson (tenor) in the company of Graham Hardy (trumpet), Lloyd Wright (guitar), Mick Shoulder (bass) and Adam Sinclair (drums) excelled before it was time to trek over to the Jazz Café for the Alex Hutton Trio. Hutton played a blinder! Ably supported by John Pope (bass) and, first Tilbrook and then David Carnegie on drums, the pianist entertained - not just with his dazzling technique but also his easy microphone manner as he related humourous tales re each piece.
Next up was to be a highlight - Simon Spillett and Matt Anderson in a two tenor front line - possibly recreating the legendary Jazz Couriers of yore. It was not to be. Simon, didn't make it. Fortunately Matt did and, having warmed up earlier at the Bridge he now laid down a solid set of standards with the Paul Edis Trio (Edis (piano); Shoulder (bass); Sinclair (drums).) Even without Simon it was still a highlight!
A break for tiffin or rather a Haggis Scotch Egg and Chutney (leftover from Burns Night?) at the Bridge followed by the Graeme Wilson Quintet which became a septet with the addition of Corey Mwamba on vibes and Alan Law on keys alongside Wilson (tenor); Dennis (trumpet); Williams (guitar); Champion (bass) and Tilbrook (drums.) A cracking set that occasionally verged on the free.
Back over to the Jazz Café for Jason Yarde and the Northern Express - as he retitled the band for the evening. Hardy, Wright, Shoulder and Carnegie gelled with Yarde who blew scintillating alto and curved soprano.
Up from Birmingham, the Jonathan Silk Quintet did give us a two tenor front-line with John Fleming and Nick Rundle. A good choice of original material by drummer Silk drew much applause from the now crowded room. Andy Bunting on piano and Chris Mapp on bass completed the ensemble. Five of Birmingham's finest.
The final set was by Paul Edis and Friends but, by this time - 8 hours of sitting, listening, walking, sitting, listening, walking was taking it's toll so I reluctantly bid adieu to what had been a day to go down in the annuls of north east jazz history.
Lance.
PS: As I didn't make it to the improv. sessions I look forward to hearing from those who did.
PPS: Link to Photos by Ken Drew.

1 comment :

Lance said...

Apologies from Simon Spillett for his no show. Suffering from a bad back. He did email his apologies to the organisers which unfortunately weren't passed on to me.
Get well soon Simon.

Blog Archive