Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Jordan Jackson @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.80 (inc. bf); £15.40 (inc. bf).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Jazz Classics with Rivkala @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Rivkala (vocals); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Thu 21: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Bird Lives!

Alto saxist Mark Toomey tells me that he had a great gig at Saltburn on Friday recreating the original line up and arrangements of the legendary Charlie Parker With Strings sessions.
Over a hundred people turned out to celebrate this timeless music.
It was a tribute to Charlie Parker who died 60 years ago tomorrow (March 12, 1955). 
It also happens to be Mark's birthday today (it's been a good week for birthdays!) and we'd like to wish him many happy gigs and may he continue to spread the gospel according to St. Bird.
As an afterthought, if it can pull 100 people in Saltburn then this show deserves to be heard further afield.
Lance.
Mark Toomey (alto); Kevin Eland (trumpet); Jeremy McMurray (piano); Peter Ayton (bass); Kevin O’Neal (drums); Philip Cull (oboe/cor anglais); Gordon Dyke, Geo Dyke, Anna Dyke (violins); Bruce Taylor (viola); Anita Aslin (harp)
at

4 comments :

Roly said...

Well done Mark. A fantastic effort and a long time ambition fulfilled.
Congratulations.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015 2:21:00 pm
Steve Andrews said...

Great idea! It would be great to see this in the Newcastle area - I've always loved those records!

Wednesday, March 11, 2015 2:57:00 pm
Mark Toomey said...

Hi Lance, I forgot to list the Cello player Gordon Callander who also did a great job of setting up the sound system for the gig. Kevin Eland played the French Horn parts on his Flugal Horn which worked great. We also played some quintet numbers as a contrast to the strings. I used the original arrangements (transcribed) from the 1945 Dizzy Gillespie / Charlie Parker quintet and some from the band that he had with Miles Davis.

Thursday, March 12, 2015 6:06:00 am
Ron and Linda Hampton said...

Brilliant night of music, really enjoyed it. The band played so well together. Thanks Mark and the rest of the band.

Sunday, March 15, 2015 6:12:00 pm

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