Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Durham Alumni Big Band & Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. Two big bands on stage together!
Fri 06: Nauta + Littlewood Trio @ Little Buildings, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Double bill + jam session.
Fri 06: FILM: Made in America @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Ornette Coleman.
Fri 06: Deep Six Blues @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.

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, February 08, 2015

Jason Isaacs @ Hoochie Coochie.

Jason Isaacs (vcl/ten); Lewis Watson (ten/fl); Ray Dales (alt/fl); Don Fairley (tmb): Mark Webb, Darren Irwin (tpt); Stuart Collingwood (keys); Keith Peberdy (bs gtr); Simon Ferry (dms).
(Review by Lance).
Another super Sunday at Hoochie - hang on, am I at Hoochie Coochie, 54 Pilgrim St, Newcastle? Nah this ain't "The Toon" it's Vegas.  Peter S likened Paul Skerritt's gig at Ashington Jazz Club to Caesar's  Palace and The Sands. Well if Paul was at one of them then Jason was at the other and both have played Hoochie - indeed Paul was in the audience today and, just as Paul picked up the coveted January BSH Gig of the Month Award then Jason must be odds on for the February accolade - make space on the mantelpiece Sharon!
The bar was, hanging from the rafters, packed.and the air was filled with a delicious aroma of hairspray and the perfumes of Araby. The girls had also doused themselves liberally!
The music? what can I say? this wasn't a concert, more an experience!
Imagine hearing Sinatra, Elvis, Ray Charles and a few other legends at their best on a Sunday afternoon in Newcastle!
Jason plays good tenor too - he has to! it's a brave man who blows sax solos with Lewis and Ray in the section! He traded choruses with Lewis on Spandau Ballet's Your Indestructible and it went to a split decision!
Wonderful takes on standards such as Tramp; Come Fly With Me; Beyond the Sea; Bojangles; Ain't that a Kick in the Head?; That's Life; a poignant rendition of One for My Baby that brought the boisterous audience to near silence and, of course, New York, New York. start spreading the news don't miss THE MAN next time around...
In the meantime I've got a single and a CD to review - maybe they'll be CD of the month? Impossible, Shaz's mantelpiece won't be big enough!
Lance.
PS:One visitor who was impressed by the show was Swedish bass sax player Frans Sjöstrom who, after playing to a packed house with the NCRO the previous evening was astonished to witness yet another full house this afternoon. This maestro will surely return to Sweden and proclaim the north east of England as the jazz capital of the UK!
Great to meet you Frans.

3 comments :

Liz said...

just my sorta gig!

Sharon said...

Thanks for the kind words Lance, plenty of space on my mantelpiece...

Lance said...

Just heard - back on August 16!

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