Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

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.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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, December 22, 2014

Harlem Hot Stompers @ Boston Spa - Dec. 20

John Ronan (tmb), Bill Smith (cornet), John Reade (pno), Ian McCann (bjo/gtr), Grant Taylor (dms), Dave Parr (bs/tuba), Dave Thomas (cl)
(Review by Ray)
Time again to listen out for Santa's sleigh bringing goodies ......remember ...if you believe ...you can hear the bells on his sleigh ....no bells tonight, but a festive treat nevertheless as the boys from Manchester crossed the Pennines to provide a packed house at Boston Spa with jazz of a festive nature at the annual party bash.
Suitably attired in Santa hats the guys kicked off with Closer Walk with Thee then That's a Plenty taking us back to the spiritually uplifting Won't be Here Too Long. Back to trad ....a couple of features ....Dave Thomas on vocals with Button up Your Overcoat and John Reade a piano solo on Wildcat Blues. Jelly Roll Morton's FroggimoreRag took us up-tempo and into You're Nobody's Sweetheart Now, then Down by the Riverside saw the first audience participation of the evening & took us to the break.
As befits a Christmas party at the Spa, the food just kept coming ....a visual cornucopia fit for the occasion ....though after over indulging we were not fit for much ...but ...that's what Christmas is all about !
Anyone who knows the Stompers would recall that they sadly lost leader Tony Foulkes 18 months earlier ....since then, Banjo man Ian has led them forward. On returning for the second set, resident archivist John Ronan gave us the good tidings that it was 45 years to the day that the original Stompers played their first gig ...not a bad record at all ....you can see how they survive in today's scene ....Bill Smith led the line in the style of an old fashioned centre-forward .....with wingers John & Dave excelling in providing support to him ....and the half back rhythm line keeping it all tight at the back.
Kicking off the second set in fine style, we moved through Acker's Goodnight Sweet Prince to Buddy Bolden's Buddy's Habits then a beautiful Dave Thomas solo, Burgundy Street. A rousing Black and Blue saw us safely to the Raffle. No prizes for us, but the musical gems kept coming .... Jelly Roll’s Doctor Jazz then it was our turn ....the hall echoing to Carols as John on piano led us through the old standards ....Rudolph ...Silent Night ...Winter Wonderland ....White Christmas ...and finally Jingle Bells. Going Home was a non too subtle hint that the end was nigh and sadly we bade farewell to our friends at the Spa and braved the cold of the night.
Traditionally, at the close of the year, we make resolutions ....if you have not yet visited the Jazz at the Spa, then you really need to put it high on your 2015 wish-list - the jazz there is of the highest class, it’s every Saturday, and it's pay on the door - so it's a few miles down the road? ....the simple fact is that nowadays we in, the Newcastle area, no longer have a venue which regularly attracts the bands that the Spa does ....we are starved of regular good jazz of this type ...the first three months alone see Savannah Jazz; Alan Barnes and John Hallam; Mart Rodgers Manchester Jazz; Frank Brookers Happy Chappies; T J Johnson Band and Amy Roberts ......fabulous Jazz !   
Take a look at the website ..www.jazzinthespa.co.uk 
Happy Christmas everyone ....keep jazz alive ....
Ray R.

2 comments :

Lance said...

Thanks for that excellent review Ray really created the atmosphere of Boston Spa.
However, I think you are doing Newcastle and the north-east down. The Vieux Carré Jazzmen, The Maine Street Jazzmen, The Tees Valley Stompers keep the trad flag flying with weekly gigs. The Whitley Bay Classic Jazz Party brings in bands from all over the world. Alan Barnes was recently at the Jazz Café, John Hallam is not unknown at Blaydon and Blaydon supremo Roly Veitch is not unknown at Boston Spa either. Currently, I would suggest that the north-east has never been better catered for by bands of all styles.

Ray R said...

My point is Lance that we have no local venues now attracting quality bands regularly from outside the region. People vote with their feet ...we support the local clubs (Fell, Ashington etc) but like many others whilst we appreciate the quality of the local bands, we simply don't wish to watch them every week ....we crave choice. Audience stats say it all ....Spa 80 to 120 weekly, Darlington 60, Trinity was 80+, Saville 70 ....watching such as French bands Hot Antics, Red Hot Reedwarmers, Paris Washboard, mixed with local talent like Swing City Trio & Hot Club Trio. Contrast that to local clubs ...Blaydon was 25 probably 40 now, Ashington 35, Springwell 30, Fell was 25. The only high audience locally is NCRO's annual Caedman Hall gig ...that can get 200 I think, so there is a bigger audience out there, they need the attraction of a mix of local & national names to get them through the door

Blog Archive