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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 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

18037 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 458 of them this year alone and, so far, 36 this month (June 11).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sun 15: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm.
Sun 15: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Hannah Brine Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:30pm. Free. Concert performance (open to the public)..
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00.

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: David Gray's Flextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’.br/> Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Jazz in the Afternoon @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. May 5

Derek Fleck (clarinet & tenor saxophone), Mick Hill (trumpet & vocals), Roy Gibson (keyboards), Bill Colledge (bass) & Fred Thompson (drums) + Barry Soulsby (clarinet), Doris Fenn (banjo), John Broddle (vocals) & Theresa Armstrong (vocals)
(Review by Russell).
Holiday Monday, decent weather, a (part) change in the old guard. Regulars Chester, Hallam & Rillands were excused duties to meet up with Don Fairley for a nice little earner at a Close House golf day. Derek Fleck - famous for fifteen seconds thanks to Jazz Record Requests - held the fort, though he too had been up Hadrian’s Wall country earlier in the day, returning to base in time to MC affairs.
A pint-sized latter day Emperor Hadrian invaded the Crescent Club disguised as XL, a celebratory brew from the Hadrian Border Brewery (brewed to mark the 38th Newcastle Beer Festival). It was the pick on the bar, another beer being described by the barman as ‘lively’. The club was lively, very busy. A microphone short of a PA system (some could happily live with that) meant the instrumentalists featured, uninterrupted by a succession of singers. All of Me opened proceedings followed by Lady Be Good with Fleck on tenor. The unexpected star attraction - trumpeter Mick Hill - played some proper trumpet on Bye Bye Blues then someone called the tired old warhorse Georgia* and it was duly dragged out once more.
During the interval someone arrived with a mic (hoorah!/boo! - delete as applicable). The jazz economy went into overdrive (ie the raffle), a cloud formation banked over the North Sea and the Cullercoats day trippers thought about taking Tyson, the pit bull, home to charm the neighbours.
Cullercoats Lass Theresa Armstrong sang ‘S Wonderful and These Foolish Things. Jazz in the Afternoon wouldn’t be Jazz in the Afternoon without the ‘S Wonderful Theresa. The great Doris Fenn (banjo) sat at the back on one side flanking the vocal-less Fred Thompson (drums), bassist Bill Colledge the other. The seated Mick Hill’s trumpet stood out throughout the afternoon, then surprisingly, the Teesside trumpeter sang  Some Day You’ll Be Sorry. A hidden talent! John Broddle came off the bench as a late sub to sing On the Sunny Side of the Street (Fleck and Barry Soulsby clarinets) and After You’ve Gone (Hill, trumpet, Roy Gibson’s idiosyncratic keyboards). Time to go. Time to join Tyson and co on the Metro home.
Russell.
* Georgia and others. Name the tunes - great tunes, no doubt - that you could live without. Georgia, Autumn Leaves, Summertime - that’s three for starters                       

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