Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Thu 13: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 13: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! Back on Aug. 27.
Thu 13: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: John Settle Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. John Settle (vibes); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 14: Bold Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00 + bf.

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Peter Gilligan Quintet The Music of Horace Silver - Splinter @ the Bridge April 20.

Peter Gilligan (pno); Don Forbes (tpt); Gary Turner (ten); Paul Grainger (bs); Dave McKeague (dms).
(Review by Lance/photo by Zoe Gilby).
Zoe's interview with Peter Gilligan gave us a foresight of what to expect and we got it - in spades! It would be easy to say that you can't go wrong with the music of Horace Silver and you can't - providing you can play in the first place. These guys can play!
Tokyo Blues; Opus De Funk; Liberated Brother; Peace; Tippin'; Filthy McNasty and Nutville made for an exciting  first set. Gilligan plays two-handed piano like a 21st century strideman never failing to get to the heart of the music. Turner was given ten days to learn the library - you'd have thought he'd been playing it since birth! Forbes is a forceful player melodic and mellow making this a contrasting and yet compatible front line. Grainger - the bass man's bassman - never flamboyant but always there. On drums Dave McKeague, sympathetic in support and sound in solo.
The second set gave us St. Vitus Dance; Strollin'; Lonely Woman (Don Forbes feature); Quicksilver; Summer in Central Park (intended to have been a feature for incapacitated vibes man Chris Jelly); Nica's Dream and a surprise finale with an earthy vocal from Zoe - who also took the above photo (which I took the liberty of lifting from F/b my own camera being naughty at the moment!)
Great night. Shame it had to clash with Alter Ego's gig Way Out West in Blaydon - I wanted to be at both!.

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