Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat 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

18957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 821 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 30.) 100.

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

October.

Mon 05: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 06: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Paul Grainger (double bass).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 07: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. Second night of two.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 08: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 08: Indigo Jazz Voices w. Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Feat. guest Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet).
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Harry Christelis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Jazz Co-op-JNE co-promotion.

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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