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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

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

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Gavin Lee’s Dixieland Band @ The New Inn, Durham. March 18

Gavin Lee (clarinet & tenor saxophone), Alf Langthorne (keyboards), Tom Darbyshire (double bass) & Jimmy ‘Stix’ Robinson (drums) + June Francis (vocals)
(Review by Russell)
The New Inn, in the heart of Durham City, drew a crowd of Durham University’s Bright Young Things to watch Chelsea v Drogba in the Champions’ League on big screen tvs and to sit and drink beer, chat and remain oblivious to the jazz band in the corner. Gavin Lee’s Dixieland Band set up with a minimum of fuss, covering, then pushing the pool table to one side – a familiar tale of the well-appointed jazz venue!
A sprightly Lady Be Good followed by When Mabel Comes in the Room (from the Broadway hit Mack and Mabel) warmed-up Lee’s liquorice stick ahead of Fats Waller’s Stealin’ Apples. The clarinettist remarked that Peanuts Hucko regularly played the tune, adding: Peanuts wasn’t his real name… it was Cashew. So, we got humour in addition to some hot clarinet! Vocalist June Francis got up to sing the first of several numbers – Bei Mir Bist du Schoen or as Lee quipped: If you don’t understand Yiddish that was ‘My Beard Needs a Shave’. Francis stayed on for a bossa version of This Masquerade. The first set flew by and drew to a close Basie-style Swingin’ the Blues.
Another pint of Taylor’s Landlord (rarely seen on the bar these days, yet this was the second sighting in three days of the legendary brew, the first being at the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle) and a chat with Gavin Lee about all things jazz made for an enjoyable interval.
Second set, football forgotten, Herbert ‘Happy’ Lawson’s Anytime led to Moonlight in Shotton Colliery, Herman’s Woodchopper’s Ball and with the return of June Francis, Lee switched effectively to tenor on Blue Moon, a breezy Blue Skies and an excellent take on A Weaver of Dreams.
The evening’s entertainment ranged far and wide from any Dixieland strictures; The Purple Rose of Cairo (Lee clarinet), the rhythm section – Alf Langthorne (piano), Tom Darbyshire (double bass) and ‘Stix’ Robinson (drums) – played it rumba on Night and Day and the Van Heusen/Burke classic Here’s That Rainy Day heard Francis and once more the tenor of Lee. Good beer, good crack, good jazz. Get along to the New Inn, nine o’clock Tuesdays.       
Russell.                     

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