Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17755 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 76 of them this year alone and, so far, 1 this month (Feb.1).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 08: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’.
Sat 08: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra event. All welcome.

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 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, February 16, 2015

The Road to Hong Kong with Colin Aitchison - Part Two.

Q: Obviously Hughie, your dad, was a big influence on you not just playing-wise but in what you listened to.
A: Dad used to have a very big 78rpm collection with just about everyone - Muggsy Spanier’s Great 16, Eddie Condon, Count Basie etc. I grew up listening to all of these greats. He was a French Polisher at Swan Hunters' Shipyard and times did get hard with the strikes and other things. Sadly, he had to sell off a huge part of his collection to make ends meet.  Later, with the arrival of vinyl, his interest was mainly with Duke Ellington. They do say that he had the largest Duke Ellington collection in the North East. I can still picture him sitting sitting in his armchair and playing along with Cootlie Williams and Ray Nance. I have warm memories of him tuning in to the "Voice of America" presented by Willis Conover. Again, through this influence I got to understand the magic of Ellington and grew up knowing most of the personel on his recordings.
Q: We know you've now been resident band leader at Ned Kelly’s in Kowloon for many years. How many exactly?
A: I started at Ned's part time just as a dep musician and bandleader in 1993, I became full time in 1997. So we are looking at 18 years now, full time.  I have the honour of being the longest serving bandleader at Ned Kelly's. I wonder if I will get a Long Service Medal?
Q: Prior to that you played at holiday camps and on cruise ships before you arrived at where you are now. Can you tell me more about those times?
A: It has been a diverse and interesting playing career, I must say. I left the North East in 1976 when I was 21.  My first professional job was a summer season with  The Gene Mayo Sound (Pictured)
at Pontin's Seacroft Holiday Camp at Hemsby, Great Yarmouth. When that was over, I joined the band with Chipperfield's Circus. It was a hard blow - I remember muddy Newbury Race Course, 7 hour rehearsals in cold tents  and bleeding lips.
Needless to say, that did not last too long. After 6 months I decided to go for stability and something more musically rewarding.  I spotted and ad in  Melody Maker for a trumpet player at Pontin’s Camber Sands, East Sussex.  This was a major turning point in my life.
The bandleader was Steve Stephenson who had made a name for himself with big  bands during the war years in East Anglia. In fact he had won quite a few Melody Maker competitions in the 1940's.  He formed his show band in the 60's and recorded a few tracks for Decca.
I went for the audition on my day off and recall having to sight read, and play by ear, a number of standards and some ballroom dancing songs. I remember having to play the Spanish Gypsy dance.  At the end it must have been  nervousness as my trumpet sound had an uncontrolled vibrato. I was sure that I had failed the test. After that I had to spend a couple of hours just waiting ... and waiting and waiting. I was praying that I would get the job. When Steve called a couple of hours later, his gruff words of "well son, when can you start?" were the seven most beautiful words I had ever heard.
Steve was a tough, no nonsense bandleader but he could read the crowd and gave the audience what they wanted.  As it was a show band, it was not just playing - we had to sing, dress up, and take part in comedy routines. Being one of the younger band members, Steve took me under his wing and I gradually lost my shyness. I would dare say it was Steve who moulded me into what I am today. It was a popular band with frequent road trips and one nighters. We played several summer seasons at the holiday camps and off season dates were filled with gigs in various areas and the big London hotels, It was through Steve that I managed to meet some famous stars like Matt Monroe, Roy Castle, Leslie Crowther, Bert Weedon, Joe Loss, Sir John Mills (pictured) and Dame Vera Lynn.
I was with Steve from 1977 through to 1986 and it was Steve who nudged and encouraged me to move on. Perhaps he knew that he was going to pack up soon too.  We kept in touch and I did visit him on my trips to England. Sadly he passed away a few years ago.  I am still in touch with his wife Pat, and even managed to stay with her for a couple of days on my visit back last year. We enjoy reminiscing about the good old days of the band. 
Colin Aitchison.
(To be continued...)

7 comments :

JC said...

I'm enjoying the Road to Hong Kong; fascinating story about how music can take you all over the world!
As I have been reading about Irish showbands I was interested to see that Colin describes the Steve Stephenson band as a 'showband' which included singing, dressing up and comedy in the overall act. I was wondering if this band was unusual in the UK context as I thought the 'showband' concept was pretty much an Irish phenomenon, albeit a highly popular one. At its peak in Ireland in the early 1960s there were 500 showbands and 450 dance halls throughout the country, some holding up to 3000 dancers. Was this a common thing in the UK as well?
JC

Lance said...

Hi JC,

You are correct about Showbands being an Irish phenomenon many of whom also came over and played in the UK, In consequence many combos who'd previously been known as dance bands and pop groups re-branded themselves as showbands to jump on the (show)band wagon playing working men's clubs and what remained of the dancehalls or, in Colin's case, holiday camps.

CCJAZZMEN said...

Lance, you hit the nail on the head, I remember being on the road, and on gigs with 2 or 3 bands at the same function, such as The Jack Hawkins Showband & Singers, Andy Ross, Ray McVay and many others did jump on the band wagon in the 60's & 70's. also a showband would play all different types of music from Quicksteps, Waltz's, Comedy to the current pops of the time, even a little jazz & swing, of course Glenn Miller's music was still very popular in that era, as it still is today.

Anonymous said...

The Steve Stephenson Showband worked for Mecca for a short period at the Mecca Ballroom, Belfast

CCJAZZMEN said...

Yes you are right, what year was this, maybe 1960's ?? and did you see the band ??

Unknown said...

Hi I am Gene Mayo's Grandson.
I've been searching for any info or pictures but not having much luck.
Just wondered if that is him playing the drums in the G.M picture
Cheers Dave

Colin said...

Hi Dave,
Yes, that is your granddad playing drums at Pontin's Seacroft Holiday Camp, Gt Yarmouth. This is where I played one summer season with him back in 1976.
I also remember his name being up at the Oxford Galleries in Newcastle back in the mid to late late 60's, when I was a kid.
If you would like some pictures of the band at Pontin's Seacroft, I would be more than happy to email them to you.
My email. aitchisoncolin@yahoo.com
Regards
Colin Aitchison.

Blog Archive