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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 2025).

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

17972 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 293 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (April 22).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

Sat 26: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington. 12 noon. Free (donations).
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

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, November 07, 2014

Today @ Classic Jazz Party

I've got an absolutely gorgeous weekend ahead  at the Village Hotel, Cobalt Business Park, nr Shiremoor, North Tyneside - never mind the weather - it's the (late) Mike Durham's Classic Jazz Party organised this year by Patti Durham with the able assistance of Keith Nichols, Frans Sjöström and several others.
It's a mouthwatering feast for lovers of classic jazz as today's program will testify to.
12 noon – 12.30pmTribute to Mike.
Spats Langham leads a re-creation of his Rhythm Boys – a group lovingly crafted by Mike Durham, complementary to his beloved West Jesmond Rhythm Kings. This music and song – indeed the entire Jazz Party – is a fitting tribute to all that Mike achieved for Classic Jazz over many decades. Enrico Tomasso (trumpet); Graham Hughes (trombone); Matthias Seuffert (reeds); Keith Nichols (piano); Spats Langham (Banjo, guitar, vocal); John Hallam (bass); Frans Sjöström (bass saxophone); Josh Duffee (drums).


12.30pm – 1.30pm: What Bix could have played.
Biographies of Bix Beiderbecke list many tunes he played in clubs, concerts and on broadcasts – most of which he never recorded. David Boeddinghaus leads a session which explores and performs for you some of this lost repertoire. Andy Schumm  (cornet); Kris Kompen (trombone); Mauro Porro (reeds); David Boeddinghaus (piano); Frans Sjöström (bass saxophone) Josh Duffee (drums).
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1.30pm – 2.30pmAmericans in Paris.
Paris consistently had a high population of visiting U.S. performers in the 1920s and 1930s, while we in the U.K. missed out on hearing most of them, especially in the later years. Martin Litton directs a showcase of what you might have heard in Paris in those heady, carefree times. Enrico Tomasso, Duke Heitger,       Bent Persson (trumpets); Alistair Allan (trombone); Matthias Seuffert, Thomas Winteler (reeds); Emma Fisk (violin); Martin Litton (piano); Spats Langham (guitar); Henry Lemaire (bass); Richard Pite (drums). Janice Day, vocal.
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2.30pm – 3.00pm: A Challenge to Louis.
Very early on, some trumpet players actually tried to ‘out-blow’ the great Louis Armstrong! Soon however, others became inspired by his vast talent – which often brought fascinating results. With introductions by Keith Nichols,  Menno Daams and Bent Persson will illustrate several of these ‘challenges’.  Menno Daams, Bent Persson  (trumpets); Graham Hughes (trombone); Mauro Porro (reeds); Morten Gunnar Larsen (piano); Henry Lemaire (banjo, guitar); Malcolm Sked (bass, brass bass); Nicholas Ball (drums).
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3.00pm – 3.30pmThe New York Gang.
Musicians who could sight-read music yet also play ‘Hot’ were in great demand in the recording studios of New York. Frans introduces this session commemorating some of them, including, naturally, his own hero, Adrian Rollini. Duke Heitger (trumpet); Kris Kompen (trombone); Lars Frank (reeds); Morton Gunnar Larsen (piano); Jacob Ullberger (banjo, guitar); Frans Sjöström (bass saxophone); Nicholas Ball (drums).
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3.30pm – 4.00pmSpats’ Little Mystery Band.
Don’t worry: the Mystery here will be swiftly resolved (split infinitive or not), and will provide you with thirty minutes of delectable ‘chamber jazz’ by Spats and his colleagues. Spats Langham (banjo, guitar, vocals); Lars Frank (reeds); Morton Gunnar Larsen (piano); Phil Rutherford (brass bass); Josh Duffee (drums).
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4.00pm – 5.00pmPaul Whiteman – King of Jazz.
One of Mike Durham’s many great achievements was to present, at the prestigious Sage venue in 2006, a full-scale Paul Whiteman Tribute concert. An audience of over 1,000 heard original Whiteman scores, meticulously transcribed and edited by Keith Nichols. This afternoon, enjoy the same airy vistas of symphonic jazz! Keith Nichols conducts and directs: Enrico Tomasso, Menno Daams, Andy Schumm (trumpets); Kris Kompen, Alistair Allan, Graham Hughes (trombones); Matthias Seuffert, Jean-François Bonnel, Lars Frank, Claus Jacobi, Mauro Porro (reeds); Emma Fisk, Dawn Allen, Jessica Graham (violins); David Boeddinghaus  (piano); Martin Wheatley (banjo, guitar); Malcolm Sked (bass) Phil Rutherford (brass bass); Frans Sjöström (bass saxophone); Josh Duffee (drums, percussion). Spats Langham, vocal.
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DINNER
7.30pm – 8.00pmThe Professor – Martin Litton.
You may not know this, but Martin does The Times crossword every day. In a more advanced way than the relationships of letters and words, he creates jazz piano of many kinds, each of which is possessed of impeccable musical structure, lucidity, and swing.
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8.00pm – 9.00pmHarlem Nightlife.
Fresh from his Paul Whiteman triumph, Keith takes us on a musical visit to North Manhattan IslandNew York, where since the 1920s  Harlem has been the hub of African American cultural and musical life.
Menno Daams, Bent Persson (trumpets); Kris Kompen (trombone); Jean-François Bonnel, Lars Frank, Claus Jacobi (reeds); Keith Nichols (piano); Spats Langham (guitar, banjo); Phil Rutherford (brass bass); Josh Duffee (drums). Janice Day, vocal.
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9.00pm – 9.30pmAll the Helens.
There a number of distinguished swing and jazz singers who share the name Helen. Although not called Helen herself, you will certainly enjoy this tribute to their illustrious careers thanks to the lovely voice of Janice Day complemented by the versatile piano of Martin Litton. Also backing Janice are Thomas Winteler (reeds); Martin Wheatley (guitar, banjo) , Malcolm Sked (bass, brass bass) and Nicholas Ball (drums).
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9.30pm – 10.00pmThe Poolshark.
If music failed to provide an income for Jelly-Roll Morton in his early days, he called upon his great abilities as a pool player. First losing on purpose, he would then take his opponents for a ride! Bent has made a selection of seldom-heard later 1930s Morton recordings. Bent Persson (trumpet); Graham Hughes (trombone); Jean-François Bonnel, Thomas Winteler (reeds); Morten Gunnar Larsen (piano); Jacob Ullberger (banjo, guitar); Henry Lemaire (bass); Nicholas Ball (drums).
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10.00pm – 11.00pmThe Nichols – Duffee All Star Orchestra.
This splendid line up will play a wide variety of special arrangements or transcriptions by Keith and Josh. Mostly of 1920s repertoire, some were made for CD projects, and have never been performed ‘live’ before! Items by McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, Frank Trumbauer and Fletcher Henderson may be included. Enrico Tomasso, Duke Heitger, Andy Schumm (trumpets); Kris Kompen, Alistair Allan (trombones); Matthias Seuffert, Jean-François Bonnel, Lars Frank, Claus Jacobi (reeds); Keith Nichols (piano); Spats Langham (banjo, guitar); Malcolm Sked (bass, brass bass); Josh Duffee (drums).
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11.00pm – ????: Victory Pub Jam.
Hot-foot from the Nichols-Duffee session, Andy Schumm directs the first of the free-blowing jam sessions which have become an indispensable tradition of the Jazz Party. Andy Schumm (Trumpet); Graham Hughes (trombone); Matthias Seuffert (reeds); Martin Litton (piano); Jacob Ullberger (banjo, guitar); Frans Sjöström (bass saxophone); Nicholas Ball (drums).
Lance.

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