Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

18992 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 856 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 11) 35.

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.

Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Feat. guest Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet).
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Harry Christelis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Jazz Co-op-JNE co-promotion.

Mon 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 12: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Julija Jacenaite (vocals).

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: A Night of Stevie Wonder @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 4:45pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 14: A Night of Stevie Wonder @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 7:30pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 14: NW FRQNC @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.00. Selina Albright, Gianni Vancini.
Wed 14: Jacob Egglestone Trio @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 15: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 15: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 15: Leah Kirk: A Strange Affair @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Leah Kirk (vocals); Alan Law (keyboards); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Thu 15: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. PJO w. guest Graham Hardy (trumpet).

Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Ancient Infinity Orchestra @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 16: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01. adv.; £15.00. on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Milne Glendinning Band @ Repas 7 by Night, West St., Berwick. 8:00pm. Free.

Sat 17: SunOrbitUs @ Culture House, Sunderland. 11:00am - 5:00pm. Closing event in a year-long piece of music. 11:00am-1:00pm Improvisation workshop w. Faye MacCalman; 2:00-5:00pm Collective Improvised Performance by Sunderland residents. SOLD OUT!
Sat 17: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 17: Martin Taylor @ Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £48.72; £43.37. Solo guitar. SOLD OUT!

Friday, March 28, 2014

CD Review: Basin Street Brawlers - It's Tight Like That

Pete Horsfall (tpt/vcl); Ewan Bleach (clt/sax); Malcolm Earle-Smith (tmb); Colin Good (pno); Martin Wheatley (gtr/bjo); Dave O'Brien (bs); Mez Clough (dms).
(Review by Lance).
A breath of fresh air might seem to be a strange description of a band playing music from the early part of the last century but after so many 'boundary bursting' CDs of angry young men seeking to extend the jazz horizons it's nice to wallow in the ambience of good tunes played by young(ish) musicians with a melodic flare to their improvisations.
Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against progress and I appreciate the need for young musicians to look to the future. However, it isn't always a journey I want to take with them.
The Basin Street Brawlers do their battling with velvet gloves rather than bare knuckles pickled in vinegar which makes for a relaxed atmosphere. Influenced by bands such as the Louis Armstrong All-Stars, Eddie Condon, Jack Teagarden and Alex Welsh they remind us of that golden era. Close your eyes and you could be in Jimmy Ryan's, Eddie Condon's or even Cook's Ferry Inn.
I wouldn't be so bold as to make comparisions with the originals - neither would the band I'm sure - but, nevertheless, this is still a fine disc well capable of standing on its own 14 feet. 
Tracks: If Dreams Come True; Just One of Those Things; If Only You Knew; All My Life; How am I to Know; Stars Fell on Alabama; Once in While; It's Tight Like That and Swing That Music.
The disc starts and ends (almost) with A Smoooth One interspersed with introductory remarks by one Natty Bo. There's also a delightful bonus track in the form of Strayhorn's Lotus Blossom. If Only You Knew is an original by Horsfall well worthy of entering 'The Repertoire'.
The Brawlers can be heard in London at Wilton's Music Hall, The Nightjar and The Blues Kitchen. there are also a couple of CD Launch Parties set up:-
May 15: The Royal Albert Hall's Elgar Room.
June 8: London Swing Festival @ Bishopgate Institute, Liverpool Street.
Basin Street Brawlers - It's Tight Like That is a limited edition CD with only 500 available.
Lance.
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