Total Pageviews

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Blog Archive