Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,086 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 950 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Nov. 7) 20.

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

November

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 11: Plague Doctors Cure All + Noonward @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: JANE @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 12: MoonMot + Jack Banjo’s Snackwall @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 12: Ratio: Swingin’ Through the Decades @ The Forum, Darlington. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. A charity fundraiser.
Thu 12: Look Left @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Thu 12: Michael Woods @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Acoustic blues.

Fri 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Giles Strong (guitar); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 13: Lapwing Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Richard Herdman, Nick Bagnell, Paula Whitty.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Hexham Lantern Parade, Bandstand, Sele, Hexham. 6:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Sharp Collective @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm.
Fri 13: East Coast Swing Band @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 13: Guisborough Big Band @ Saltburn Golf Club. 7:30pm. Tickets: £15.00 (inc. pie & peas

Sat 14: Lianne Carroll: Jazz Vocal Weekend Workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 9:30am-5:00pm. £95.00. Day 1/2. SOLD OUT!
Sat 14: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 14: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf); £11.00 concs (inc. bf).
Sat 14: Red Kites Jazz @ Staiths Café, Gateshead. 7:00pm.
Sat 14: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Tweed Gallery, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Saturday, March 07, 2015

Great North Big Band Jazz Festival (Day 1) @ North Shore, Sunderland. March 6

Paul Jones-Mick Donnelly Quintet: Paul Jones (alto saxophone), Sue Ferris (tenor saxophone & flute), Stuart Collingwood (keyboards), Anth Ord (bass) & Adrian Tilbrook (drums)
(Review by Russell)
The twelfth annual Great North Big Band Jazz Festival opened with the Paul Jones-Mick Donnelly Quintet. The line-up wasn’t quite as anticipated. Mick Donnelly (tenor) begged leave of absence to give his services to a high profile charity event, thus a last minute dep was sought. Sue Ferris – damsel to the rescue – stepped into the breach. The band’s bass player – Neil Harland – was unavailable, so, one of the new generation of north east jazz musicians got the job, Mr Anth Ord. Not quite a scratch band, how would they fare?

The quintet’s audience included the Festival Big Band (an ensemble comprising some of the north east’s finest young musicians) and first time visitors to Sunderland, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys Swing Band. The first number set the pace, then some. Herbie Hancock’s Driftin’  heard Paul Jones’ alto, then, wow-wee!, Sue Ferris’ tenor solo blew the roof off Sunderland University Students’ Union! Truly great tenor playing. American star names – past or present – would have been left trailing. Sandu followed. We weren’t aware that Ferris had merely been warming up; more absolutely killing tenor saxophone! Peri’s-Scope – guess what? Ferris did it again! Mick who?
Stevie Wonder, The Song is You, a Sonny Rollins’ calypso… pianist Stuart Collingwood threw in a couple of solos, Jones again, Anth Ord (on the money all night) did a grand job and Adrian Tilbrook (drums) was in fine form throughout.
The Festival Big Band performed material developed over several months in workshops led by Bill Watson. Catch As Catch Can, The Londonderry Air and Blue Skies. A varied programme showcasing, in particular, a nine-strong saxophone section, deservedly won applause. Bill Bailey featured a sixty four bar reeds intro. Watson appeared satisfied, the audience liked it. Pianist Alice Buhaenko premiered a her composition – The Festival Overture – with, in parts, a Spanish feel to it. Trombonist Hugh Morris is an arranger – composer and arranger are definitely ones to watch out for.
Festival guests Altrincham Grammar School for Boys Swing Band closed the first night of this year’s Great North Big Band Jazz Festival. The boys are making a weekend of it; participating in a Saturday morning workshop and on Sunday they will be taking part in the schools’ section of the competition. This Friday evening short set introduced a band well-schooled by MD Colin Myers. Adrien Re, Sammy Nestico and Pharrell Williams – three markedly different composers – put the spotlight on the band’s sections. Trumpets (all six of them) impressed and Sam Myers stood up for the trombones. Happy, Williams’ tune of the year (was it 2013? 2014?), concluded a polished performance. The boys are sure to enjoy the weekend – win, lose or draw. Note: Mick Donnelly will be back (in tandem with Paul Jones) on Saturday and Sunday to act as competition adjudicator. Russell.
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