Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
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: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

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

Friday, August 22, 2014

Pilgrim St. Set @ Hoochie Coochie August 22

Gary Turner (ten); Lloyd Wright (gtr); Paul Susans (bs gtr); Rob Walker (dms).
(Review by Lance).,
Those around me expressed reservations when it was revealed that "The Pilgrims" would be sans Edis and Burns. However, when Wright hit the ground 'strumming,' the doubters became devotees as the young Fenderman, spurred on by Walker and Susans, laid down the first of the evening's grooves. 
Meanwhile, crouched like a tiger ready to spring,  Turner waits in the wings. And then he sprung!
Prisoners, he does not take. He goes for the jugular - a snarling, life threatening cascade of notes that exceed the saxophone's sanity and shoot off into outer space, by-passing the Moon and maybe landing on Saturn - say "Hi" to Sun Ra for me. Not to be outdone, Wright (pictured right) has his own rite of passage to the Stratosphere which is most certainly something to write home about. 
Dispensing with his Vic Firth's (or whatever) Walker gave an impressive display of hand drumming on one Latinesque number as well as sending the others into orbit in more conventional fashion.
"Roxanne" remarked that she detected shades of The Police and she should know!
Susans described the evening as the launching of the Book of Groove welcoming suggestions - I don't know if any were forthcoming but it would be difficult to improve on what they've already got i.e. Zappa, Ornette, Dexter, Zorn, Silver and Uncle Hank Mobley and all... 
Back September 18.
Lance.

1 comment :

Russell said...

Lloyd was good all night, especially on Ernest Ranglin's Surfin'. Immense bass and drums, then there was Mr G Turner!

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