Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (DownBeat May, 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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Jordan Jackson @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.80 (inc. bf); £15.40 (inc. bf).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Jazz Classics with Rivkala @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Rivkala (vocals); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Thu 21: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

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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