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

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Big Bands Are Like Buses

Radio Reveling from Russell).
BBC Radio does jazz well.* The problem is there isn’t enough of it – until the annual London Jazz Festival registers on Auntie’s radar. Composer of the Week: Big Band (Monday-Friday) on Radio 3 (12 noon) looks in depth at the form. Regular presenter Donald Macleod is guided through five one hour programmes by Guy Barker starting with Pioneers on Monday 17 Nov. Tuesday – The Swing Era, Wednesday – Big Band Bebop, Thursday – The 1950s and Friday – The New Sounds. All five programmes are repeated at 6:30pm each day through the week. 
Clare Teal (Sunday 16, Radio 2, 9:00pm) plays more big band fare and Julian Joseph joins her to preview the London Jazz Festival. On Radio 3 (Tuesday, 7:30pm) Radio 3 Live in Concert there is more big band jazz live from the Barbican, London. The BBC Concert Orchestra with Clark Rundell (conductor) works with Norma Winstone and the Trish Clowes Quintet. Newly commissioned work will be heard from Clowes and Guy Barker.
Novelist John Harvey shares his Private Passions (Sunday, Radio 3, 12 noon). Charlie Resnick is sure to get some jazz played! Clare Teal pops up again on In Tune (Radio 3, Monday, 4:30pm) and later the Branford Marsalis Quartet can be heard on Jazz on 3 (11:00pm) from the LJF. The classical side of Branford will be revealed throughout the week on Essential Classics (Radio 3, Monday-Friday, 9:00am). Jamie Cullum meets Arun Ghosh (Tuesday, Radio 2, 7:00pm) and at ten o’clock The Secret Kind of Blue looks at Miles’ ’59 recording (Guy Barker presents, first broadcast in 2009). Jay Rayner appears on In Tune (Tuesday, 4:30pm) with his jazz quartet. If actors can play the blues, Rayner can play jazz. And don’t forget the blues…Paul Jones over on Radio 2, 7:00pm, Monday has a further installment from London’s Blues Fest featuring Robert Cray. And finally, on Thursday 20, catch part three of The Atlantic Records Story over on BBC 6 Music. The programme (3/13) airs at 1:00am Friday looking at the label’s jazz catalogue.
Russell.
* Last night’s gala opening of this year’s London Jazz Festival broadcast live on Radio 3  from the Barbican – Radio 3 Live in Concert: Jazz Voice – featured Guy Baker fronting the London Jazz Festival Orchestra and an array of singers including Kurt Elling, Georgie Fame and Dee Dee Bridgewater. All great stuff, until near the end of the concert a Radio 3 continuity announcer interrupted Elling and band to tell the listener it was time to leave the Barbican to join the following scheduled programme. Now, can you image live opera from the Met or the Royal Opera House being cut short before the fat lady sang?              

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