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.

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!

Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Jump jive.
Sun 18: Guisborough Big Band @ Redcar Rugby Club. 5:00-8:00pm. ‘Charity Big Band Birthday Bash’ in aid of Parkinson’s UK & Young Sounds UK. Free (donations on the door).
Sun 18: Martin Taylor @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £23.30. Solo guitar.
Sun 18: Ben Crosland Quartet with Steve Waterman @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Millstone. May 29

(Review by Russell)
The Strictly Smokin’ Big Band’s last Thursday in the month session at the Millstone has developed from an open rehearsal into an informal concert performance. Word of mouth has seen audience numbers grow and all seats were taken in the upstairs room on a warm early summer’s evening.
Tom Kubis’ Frankie and Johnnie and a Trombone Guy kicked off, then Skin Deep and for a moment it felt like Autumn in New York. MD Michael Lamb made an occasional foray from the trumpet section to stand in front of the orchestra in the hope of getting the boys to finish reading the dots at more or less the same time. The Red Door stood out with the presence of a Gerry Mulligan (beard period) look-a-like in the room warranting a double take! US top trumpeter Pete Tanton asked Have You Met Miss Jones? Not yet! 
Soloists were plentiful – Lamb and Tanton (trumpets), the reeds boys (baritone man Mr. Laurie Rangecroft content to sit out), bone men David Gray and Kieran Parnaby and the engine room contingent of Marc Jolliffe (keys) and guitarist Pawel Jedrzejewski. A John Dankworth arrangement of Moanin’ called time on a good first set.
                 Have you met Ms Hannon? Second set, in walked Lindsay Hannon. Too Darn Hot, Angel Eyes (Paul Gowland tenor solo) and Makin’ Whoopee exercised the Hannon larynx, a cool lager at hand. Tito Puente’s Oye Como Va has become a firm favourite (David Gray and your correspondent singing along). Draft in an additional percussionist and you have the perfect good time party material. In the absence of her vocal partner James Hedley, the pig-tailed Hannon sight-read Wille Dixon’s Spoonful. This could develop into something. Hannon has the voice to do it justice and she looks better than Howlin’ Wolf or for that matter the great Jack Bruce! The Strictly Smokin’ Big Band can be heard again at the Millstone (Haddricks Mill Road, South Gosdorth) on Thursday 26 June. If you can’t wait that long then don’t miss the band at Hoochie Coochie, Sunday 22 June. Doors 4:00 pm, first set 5:00 pm. Last time at Warren’s place the joint was heaving. Unmissable!  
Russell.
Michael Lamb (trumpet, MD), Pete Tanton, Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey (trumpets); David Gray, Kieran Parnaby, David Barnes, John Flood (trombones); Keith Robinson, Steve Summers (alto); Paul Gowland), Jamie Toms (tenor); Laurie Rangecroft (baritone); Marc Jolliffe (keyboards); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Guy Swinton (drums); Lindsay Hannon (vocals)

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