Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Stedman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

CD Review: Samuel Eagles Quartet - Next Beginning - LIVE TONIGHT @ THE GLOBE NEWCASTLE (8pm £10)!


(I make no apologies for re-posting this CD review as the band are appearing tonight at the latest Jazz Co-op gig at The Globe. If they are only half as good as they are on the CD it would still be one helluva gig! However, I confidently expect them to be even better live! Don't miss out! - Lance)
Samuel Eagles (alt/sop); Ralph Wyld (vib); Fergus Ireland (bs); Eric Ford (dms).
(Review by Lance).
What a talented family the Eagle Clan must be! Brother Duncan has already achieved recognition with the contemporary trio Partikel and now, Sibling Samuel has emerged from the eyrie in full flight displaying a technique well capable of expressing the multitudinous rush of ideas that flow from his head/soul via either alto or soprano.
Tutoring by such greats as Mornington Lockett, Jean Toussaint and Jason Yarde, among others (no doubt brother Duncan also threw in his tenpenneth), have ensured that Samuel has tread the path of musical righteousness. Eagles cites his influences as ranging from Charlie Parker to Kenny Garrett with a nod towards Ambrose Akinmusire and Logan Richardson which is no bad place to be.
Eight original compositions, tried and tested on the London gig scene, prove that not only is Eagles a saxophone player to be reckoned with but a top notch composer too!
On this CD he is in the company of his equally talented peers. Ralph Wyld, currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music under Nick Smart and Jim Hart,  is an emerging malleteer exploring the possibilities of the vibraphone. No longer dismissed as a "Miscellaneous Instrument" by Down Beat, although the British Jazz Awards still include the instrument in that slightly derogatory category (Jim Hart was last year's winner) there is nothing miscellaneous about Wyld's playing. pithy, and swinging like his mentor.
Ferg Ireland, another regular on the London scene, arrived via Trinity and RAM before making his mark with some of the capital's A-listers such as Nat Facey, James Maddren and Jay Phelps. Here, he is the veritable rock around which the session is built.
On drums, Eric Ford, well known for his work with Eagles Major in Partikel, provides plenty of  F-IRE power on this session driving, cajoling, spurring the soloists on, pushing them to the brink then bringing them back.
An exhilarating date. I can imagine Eagles saying. "Follow that bro!"
Samuel Eagles Quartet - Next Beginning will be officially released on the F-IRE presents label  on November 10 and launched on November 16 at Pizza Express, Dean St., Soho.
The quartet play several dates promoting the album commencing on Sept. 20 at Lancaster Jazz Festival.
Lance.
PS: The Paul Edis Sextet present their Mr Hipster album that same day at the same festival giving fans an additional incentive to cross the Pennines!

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