Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18585 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 449 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 31) 103

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

From This Moment On

June

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 02: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Postmodern Jukebox @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Thu 04: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £17.00. Trio from Texas, USA.
Thu 04: King Bees @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues excellence!
Thu 04: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 05: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05-Thu 11: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne. Screenings TBC.
Fri 05: Pete Tanton & Alan Law @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05: House of the Black Gardenia: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). House of the Black Gardenia evening performance. Day 1/3.
Fri 05: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band + IKS Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £24.00. Big band double bill. IKS Big Band (Germany).
Fri 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00

Sat 06: Struggle Buggy @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £15.00.
Sat 06: IKS Big Band: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). IKS Big Band evening performance. Day 2/3.
Sat 06: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Northumbrian Revival, West Benridge Farm, nr. Morpeth NE61 3RZ. 7:30-9:30pm. £21.47 (£2.77. child). 82nd D-Day anniversary event.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 06: FILM: The Magic City: Birmingham According to Sun Ra @ The Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 9:30pm. £7.00., £5.00. Dir. Guillaume Maupin & Pablo Guarise.

Sun 07: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Steve Walker (trumpet).
Sun 07: Joe Steels: Celebrating Wes @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Trio: Joe Steels, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Eddie Gripper Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Magpies of Swing: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). Magpies of Swing afternoon performance. Day 3/3.
Sun 07: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 7:00pm. £12.50. Trio from Texas, USA.
Sun 07: Salty Dog @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm. £5.00. Performance in the Studio venue.
Sun 07: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Riding Mill Village Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 07: Swing Manouche @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Feat. Steve McGarvie (clarinet).

Mon 08: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 08: Dave Bristow Quintet @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £22.00., £11.00., £5.50. Bristow (piano); Christian Altehülshorst (trumpet); Félix Hardouin (alto sax); Gabriel Pierre (double bass); Guillaume Prévost (drums).

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Jeremy Platt Jazz Soul Moment @ The Globe Dec. 13


Jeremy Platt (pno/korg/vcl/gtr); Frank Felix (bs); John Boulton (dms).
Review/Rant by Lance).
The normal feeling you get upon entering the upper room at The Globe is claustrophobia - tonight, because of the lack of punters, - it was agoraphobia!
This so-called Jazz Co-op continues to frustrate me. The cooperation seems to be none existent when it comes to turning up at gigs! Admittedly some of the members are working musicians and Saturday night gigs must take preference. But, whilst not all are gigsters, all are shareholders. Being a gnome of Hebburn rather than Zurich, I don't claim to understand the finer points of finance but it does strike me that if you've invested in Coca Cola you don't drink Pepsi. Likewise, if you've plunged on the Jazz Co-op share offer then you turn up at the gigs to help protect your investment - three of us did tonight!
Possibly the Co-op's investors treat it as some kind of expenditure to claim tax relief on. As I say, I'm not a whiz kid on these things so what do I know?
I was watching that wonderful film The Producers the other day....
It made me think....
Getting back to the gig.
The guys did their thing - they kept their part of the bargain...
Lance.

14 comments :

stevebfc said...

Where were you? 3 of us turned up for the second set and there were no other paying customers there! I couldn't agree more with you about your comments. If people the people programming the bands can't be arsed to turn up why should anybody. There was so much enthusiastic rhetoric for the project before the venue was opened and now that it has it seems to have melted. I am definitely asking myself 'What was the point'? steve H

Lance said...

I left towards the end of the first set - I was embarrassed! Not by the music which was everything I expected after hearing the CD, but by the lack of support from within the ranks.

Anonymous said...

You were embarrassed by the poor turnout so left to reduce the audience size even more?

Lance said...

Perhaps 'Self conscious' would be a better choice of words.

Brian B. said...

Was Max Bialystock taking the money at the door?

Brian (banjo) Bennett said...

How about a 'New Orleans Night' with The Vieux Carré Jazzmen? They'd pack the place out like they used to at the nearby Hawthorn pub aka The New Orleans Jazz Club (now Sachins on Forth Banks) back in the 60's.

Lance said...

I'm sure they would - back in the 60's! Worth a try though - providing the lift is operational!

Brian said...

Watch it, matey! We don't need a lift, ok! Maybe St John Ambulance in support, tho!

Lance said...

I wasn't thinking of you Brian, I was thinking about your "Groupies" and camp followers!

Brian (Banjo) Bennett said...

Lance, a few of our lady camp followers would like a quiet word with you in the Millstone car park...

Debra said...

1. Steve, as one of 'the people programming the bands' I have been to 7 gigs at the Globe in the last 2 months, & my family are very accommodating, but I can't be at every one of them (although I did pop in earlier in the day to help put up Xmas decorations). There are a small group of people who have put a huge amount of time & effort to get this project up & running, and at least 1 or 2 of them have been at every gig. Any new volunteers would be very welcome, especially if they have expertise in promotion.
2. Brian - Vieux Carre would be very welcome to come & play, all you need to do is ask... look on the website for band applications.
3. Merry Xmas!

Lance said...

Debra, I, and I'm sure Steve, also appreciate the time and effort you, Dave, Joan and some of the others have put into the venture. It is those who don't show up ever that my rant was aimed at. I think that when the Co-op book a band from out of the area shareholders should make an extra effort to be there. Not only to help protect their investment but also to maintain the credibility of the venture in the bigger picture. In the shrinking jazz world all factions should be pulling together to create a united front rather than scoring points off each other. The interest shown by the Vieux Carré Jazzmen in playing the Globe indicates that stylistic barriers can be broken so, why not more cooperation between promoters and venues?

Debra said...

All good points Lance

stevebfc said...

Indeed as Lance mentions above we are very appreciative of all the amazing hard work that members are undertaking but that makes it even more sad when so few people turn up to gigs. I wish I had the answer but the audience really needs to be built up before embarking on a course of booking bands with no local following.

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