Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00. Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 13: Joe Steels @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 13: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Fri 13: Tom Remon & John Moriarty @ The Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, Sunderland SR1 3QJ. 7:00pm. £10.00 + £1.00 bf.

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.
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