Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Stedman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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

Saturday, June 07, 2014

Peter Gilligan & Friends @ The British Legion, West Jesmond. June 6

Peter Gilligan (piano), Paul Grainger (double bass), Jeff Armstrong (drums) & Michael Lamb (trumpet & flugelhorn)
(Review by Russell).
Is there music on tonight? Aye, came the reply. Oh, my Gawd! the despairing response. So said one club regular to another. Things looked promising then! This being D Day, a gig at the British Legion could see an invasion of jazz fans. Alas, they were on the beaches.
The small, comfortable lounge welcomed the Home Guard – a couple here, a solitary soul there, awaiting news of the day’s action down on the beaches (Long Sands, Tynemouth).
Pianist Peter Gilligan sat down to play at nine o’clock with news yet to come through as to the ETA of Tyneside’s jazz fans. Gilligan had one keen supporter behind him, right behind him on the wall – a portrait of Her Maj looking down at him. Play some jezz young man!  Gilligan jumped to it with old pals Paul Grainger (double bass) and Jeff Armstrong (drums) standing to attention (in Armstrong’s case he was allowed to remain seated). Regal trumpeter Michael Lamb joined Gilligan and friends for the evening and it was one of those ‘let’s play’ sessions with listeners thin on the ground. Muted trumpet on the Van Heusen/Mercer classic I Thought About You said it all – this was going to be good. And it was! The material ranged from Caravan to bop classics to West Coast and beyond. Brubeck’s Blue Rondo a la Turk featured the dazzling Gilligan with stop-start swing time interjections. Armstrong counted them in on Blues March, a triumphant blast of a tune on D Day.
It was late, time to return to the Nissen huts. Gilligan pondered, what to play? Grainger hit on All Blues. On hearing it Gilligan said Yeah, let’s do it. A cracking session. Get along next week to hear the Empress of the Blues Mo Scott. Arrive before 8:30 pm and you get in for free (£5.00. after 8:30 pm). Leave the car at home, jump on the Metro, the Legion is right next to West Jesmond Metro Station. Support the efforts of  Jeff Armstrong & co to get something going at the Jesmond Legion.          
Russell.
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive