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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 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. 293 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (April 22).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

Sat 26: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington. 12 noon. Free (donations).
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

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, March 31, 2014

Alex Baker Quartet @ The Forum, Darlington. March 30

Alex Baker (tenor saxophone), Dean Stockdale (piano), Amy Baker (electric bass) & Stephen Fletcher (drums)
(Review by Russell).
The Forum on Borough Road, tucked away behind Darlington Civic Theatre, presents a range of arts activities across the week including music, cinema and workshop sessions. Early Sunday evening Darlington Jazz Club opens for business. Jazz musicians from the north east and occasionally further afield play two sets to an attentive audience in the bar. This week’s guest Alex Baker (tenor saxophone) was on home ground. A local lad now living in Sheffield, Baker met up with bass playing sister Amy and the ‘award winning’ drummer Stephen Fletcher (Baker was to gently tease Fletcher about his recent success) One hour before the gig Baker made the acquaintance of pianist Dean Stockdale. 
The jazz world is perhaps unique in matching musicians at a moment’s notice and making it work. The club organisers, well aware of Stockdale’s abilities, knew they had nothing to worry about, it would be good, the one question being: how good? A pint of Yard Dog (Ferryhill’s Yard of Ale Brewery) at hand and a chat with one or two regulars as the quartet ran through a couple of charts and before we knew it the first set started bang on time. Bessie’s Blues, This was going to be good! Solar. Two tunes in, it couldn’t get any better, could it? Mature, full toned tenor playing, it is worth travelling a distance to hear Alex Baker. 
A tenor and drums intro to the next number made for one regret – the whole of the north east’s jazz community should have been at the Forum to hear it. Fletcher (the award winning drummer!) and Baker taking Giant Steps. Stockdale and Amy Baker got on board Baker’s Trane and positively kicked ass (as the Americans might say). Superb bass playing (if Amy isn’t you’re favourite bass player it is simply because you are yet to hear her), chords and more from Dean ‘McCoy’ Stockdale, Three numbers into the set and the gig had leapt to the top of the Gig of the Year list! In a Sentimental Mood took it down, the musicianship up there. The interval. The consensus – fantastic!
Second set, more great piano from Stockdale on  Afro Blue and again on Moment’s Notice. A ballad was called for. Naima showcased Baker (Alex). Majestic tenor playing, rhythm section right there. A gig celebrating the music of John Coltrane, certainly. A gig celebrating the great tenor playing of Alex Baker. More Trane – Impressions. A gig of exceptional quality, the quartet should do it again, soon. The next Darlington Jazz Club date is Sunday April 13 with guests the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band. The third Darlington Jazz Festival runs from April 24-27. Tickets will sell out. Visit the Forum’s website www.theforumonline.co.uk Check Bebop Spoken Here nearer the time for a full festival preview.          
Russell.           

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