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

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.

Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00. Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 13: Joe Steels @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 13: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Fri 13: Tom Remon & John Moriarty @ The Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, Sunderland SR1 3QJ. 7:00pm. £10.00 + £1.00 bf.

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

Monday, November 03, 2014

CD Review: Clark Tracey Quintet - Meantime

Clark Tracey (dms); Chris Maddock (alt/ten); Henry Amburg Jennings (tpt/flg); Harry Bolt (pno); Daniel Casimir (bs).
(Review by Lance).
Saturday night's Jazz Co-op gig at the the Globe said it all! An absolutely brilliant gig, led by the country's top drummer pushing four great young musicians to the limit. You enjoyed the gig? Then dig the recording!
Close your eyes and this isn't London (or Newcastle) 2014, it's a studio in Newark, New Jersey, Rudy Van Gelder has just recorded the hottest hard bop band around. Open your eyes - Jeeze these guys are Brits! and, apart from the leader,they're in their 20s! and nowhere near New Jersey!
Listen to what they do to Tony William's Lawra. This Lawra isn't "a dream" she's a brazen hussy inspiring Tracey to vent his emotions on the kit.
We loved Ojos De Rojo at the Globe and the amour didn't end there - what a band! I doubt if I've ever heard such a fine example of small group playing this side of New York City and I doubt if NYC has ever heard anything better this side of LA (Lower Ashington)!
Seriously, this is as good as you're going to hear in the idiom, anywhere.
As it did at The Globe, A Pint of Bitter went down well. Back in the days when Clark Terry wrote the tune for Tubby Hayes, IPA; Red Barrel; Ben Truman and, of course, Bass  and Worthington, were just some, albeit not all of the bitters a jazzer may have enjoyed whilst hanging out in and around Soho. Listening to the music I can almost taste the beer.  
What's New? is balladry at its finest.. The guys chill and relax - it's cool but it's not frigid. I'm sure the players, like all of us, have experienced that strange moment where you make small talk with an old flame whilst wondering if they/we could, once again, be a new flame. Johnny Mercer wrote the poignant lyrics to Bob Haggart's song but words are unnecessary here - the horn players don't need words to convey the message on this one.
Suddenly Last Tuesday  - is the killerest dillerest track on the CD and I don't want to listen to anything else for the rest of my life - or at least until next Tuesday.
Clark Tracey? Nah - this was Clark Kent!
Lance.
Clark Tracey Quintet - Meantime available now.
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