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

18548 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 412 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 19) 66

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

Mon 25: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 26: Noel Dennis Sextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00. A Miles Davis centenary concert (Davis b. 26. 5. 1926). Noel Dennis (trumpet); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums). SOLD OUT!
Tue 26: Lagos to Longbenton @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 27: Neighbourhood Watch + Rivkala @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00. Rivkala (solo).

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Miles Davis & His Favourite Musicians.
Thu 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 28: Bobby Rush @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. + bf. Veteran USA bluesman.
Thu 28: Squabble @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 28: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.

Sat 30: Giles Strong Quartet @ Langley Tracks, Langley on Tyne NE47 5LA. 5:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £1.50 bf.

Sun 31: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 31: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 31: Sinfonia of London: Tea Dance @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. Free. John Wilson ensemble performing on the concourse. Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George & Ira Gershwin & more.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76.
Sun 31: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 31: Ben Haskins Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Roly Goes "Underground."

Excuse me for a bit of self promotion but this festival may in any case be of interest and maybe you could pass on the info to any friends or relatives who you think may be interested. 
The Mining Institute is in Neville Street, Newcastle just next to The Lit & Phil. It has a history to be proud of. Many of the finest engineers in mining history graced its walls and many of the great innovations in mining happened here on Tyneside. For example Geordie Stephenson's safety lamp, better pit ventilation (John Buddle - Wallsend), the pit cage (TE Hall - Greenside).  
The Institute is still going strong. They currently are involved in a research project 'Mining the Institute' which is exploring the world wide influence of our local mining engineers who worked to influence mining development world wide. As part of this, Judith Murphy is helping organise a festival of literature, poetry, song and music all related to our mining history.
Next Saturday 21st June - Festival of Mining Literature & Poetry.
Saturday 28th June - Festival of Song & Music.
Judith has invited The Blaydon Aces, myself and James Birkett, to be part of the events on 28th - we are playing 2.30 to 3.15 in the afternoon. A selection of light hearted local dialect songs with a mining connection - I've got a little whippet, Wi me pit claes on, Pitman's Lament, Row between the cages and so on.
For the full festival program here's the link.
https://www.mininginstitute.org.uk/
 -----
Back to jazz - our next concert at Blaydon is on Sunday 6th July -  an extra date fixed up because Colin Aitchison is over here from Hong Kong. Colin is a fine Armstrong inspired trumpeter. He is bringing his pal, Italian clarinettist Franco Valussi - he's also based in Hong Kong now. Its with Swing City Trio fronted by the one and only Steve Andrews (sax/clnt) plus Roy Cansdale bass and myself acoustic guitar.
After that, on Sunday 20th July, a great young jazz singer Zoe Gilby with her quartet.
Roly.

2 comments :

Lance said...

Very interesting Roly. I'd always associated the miner's lamp with Humphrey Davy and didn't realise that Stephenson and others were working the same seam so to speak. I think the Festival will appeal to anyone interested in local history.

Roly said...

Hi Lance - thanks for putting this on BSH. Yes Davy invented a safety lamp too. From what I've read both men were working on their version of a safety lamp at about the same time.

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