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

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Durham Alumni Big Band & Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Theatre. 7:30pm. £12.00. Two big bands on stage together!
Fri 06: Nauta + Littlewood Trio @ Little Buildings, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Double bill + jam session.
Fri 06: FILM: Made in America @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Ornette Coleman.
Fri 06: Deep Six Blues @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.

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.

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

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

And Everybody Stayed - Paul Skerritt Band @ The Cherry Tree. August 11

Paul Skerritt (vcl); James Harrison (pno); Neil Harland (bs); Tom Chapman (dms).
(Review by Lance/photo by Simon).
Restaurant gigs, any musician will tell you, are gigs where the music runs a distant third behind the Crêpe Suzette or the latest piece of gossip! Even at a jazz orientated estab. such as the Cherry Tree I've witnessed some of the most wonderful music being totally unappreciated by the diners.
Tonight wasn't like that. 
The Skerritt Band entertain and they do it with presentation, brilliant musicianship and communication.
This latter word is the clue. Communication.
They communicate! Even playing Happy Birthday - as just about every other band does every other gig - is a groove. Skerritt can work a room as well as many more illustrious names do and tonight was no exception.
I'm not going to list the songs - Peter S did that in his review of last Wednesday's gig at Ashington and there were few changes to the repertoire. One change was Neil Harland on bass. I don't know if Neil has played with the band before but he certainly did them proud tonight.
Tom Chapman knows the pad and he kept it swinging, so much so he was pronounced "King of the Swingers" after his solo on that famous Jungle Book number.
Oh yes, just in case I forget, James Harrison played piano, which is like saying Muhammad Ali did a little boxing....
For an instrumental feature James played a fantastic version of Food, Glorious Food.
Was ever a tune more appropriate?
Szechuan peppered squid, Asian noodle salad, lime and coriander; Char-grilled bistro rump, peppercorn sauce and traditional steak garnish (and frites); Tiramasu with coffee granita washed down by a bottle of Black Sheep convinced me the tune was appropriate!
It was a cosmopolitan audience tonight. We had Simon - an Anglo Aussie who works in China - as well as a couple of Ashingtonians, some Teessiders and yours truly, the only member of Le Hot Club du Hebburn. 
Start spreading the news...
Lance.
(Photos courtesy of Simon pictured with James and the waitresses.)
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