Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise 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

18897 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 761 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 11.) 40.

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

September.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 17: Front Porch Blues @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 17: Miles 100 @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. Jack Courtney (trumpet); Sue Ferris (tenor sax); Tom Atkinson (guitar); Alan Law (piano); Deon Krishnan (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums). A night of Miles Davis.
Thu 17: Amphitrio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £7.00. Andrei Petrache (piano); Mike Alex (double bass); Philip Goron (drums).

Fri 18: Danny Lownes’ Hot Club @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Mark Williams Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 18: Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00., £5.00. student.
Fri 18: Rivkala + Beccy Sloan @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.
Sat 19: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner: Nina Simone. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 19: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Hoochie Coochie June 22

(Review by Lance/Photo courtesy of Ken Drew.)
Even with a couple of subs coming off the bench (Keith Robinson on alto and Bill Watson, trumpet) this was a stormer and the packed bar loved it. Many familiar faces in the audience, and a pair of shapely legs that I was sure meant that Betty Grable was alive and well! Maybe this miracle meant that Harry James too had been raised from the dead and was in the trumpet section? No, the legs belonged to my favourite auntie (not actually my auntie but somebody's auntie) and Harry wasn't in the horn section either!
They didn't need him - dead or alive! Leader Lamb blew the jazz and directed the moments that needed directing.  Bill Watson, Tom Hill and Gordon Marshall did the bumpering up and did it good - any one of those three could blow lead trumpet anywhere in the world near Middlesbrough. Fantastic guys.
The saxes can just about knack any other sax section anywhere. Gowland, Summers and deputy dog Robinson scored runs, goals and a converted try every time they stood up. Laurie Rangecroft kept the hatches battened down and Jamie Toms, inexplicitly, finished the day on 0 not out (unless he hit a couple of boundaries whilst I was helping the bar staff to dispose of  their stock of London Pride.) Jamie, actually, had had his day - see Russell's Monkey CD review).
However, I digress, music-wise it was a brilliant gig not least because of vocals by James Hedley and the diva's diva - Lindsay Hannon but also because this is such a swinging band. Laid back, cool and relaxed - dig the Kenton arrangement of Long Ago and Far Away. The Nutville tribute to Horace Silver, the amazing St. Louis Blues - was Gowland's tenor solo the best solo ever on this tune?  And, of course, a rhythm section that swung. Basie was once quoted as saying "Four beats to the bar and no cheating."
There was no cheating this afternoon.
Lance.
Michael Lamb, Gordon Marshall, Tom Hill, Bill Watson (tpt); Mark Ferris, John Flood, Kieran Parnaby , Robert Perry (tmb); Steve Summers, Keith Robinson (alt); Paul Gowland, Jamie Toms (ten); Laurie Rangecroft (bar); Pawel Jedrzejewski, (gtr); Marc Jollife (pno), Michael Whent (bs); Guy Swinton (dms); Lindsay Hannon James Hedley (vcls).
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