Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

June

Sat 20: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer Festival, Corbridge. 5:00-6:00pm.
Sat 20: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 20: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Trinity Church, Gosforth, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. NCRO w. guests Dean Stockdale & Nick Ward.

Sun 21: From Lagos to Longbenton: Unity in the Community @ Sunderland Minster. From 1:30pm. Free. A multi-bill Unity in the Community event, inc. From Lagos to Longbenton.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio w. Graham Hardy.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 22: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 23: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Wednesday, March 04, 2015

Jammin' @ The Caff - March 3

Peter Gilligan (pno); James Robson (bs); Bradley Johnston (gtr); Paul Wight (dms) + Joe Fowler, David Gray (tmb); Paul Gowland, Jordan Alfonso (alt); Alexis Cairns (ten); Sylvie Heath (fl); Tom Lapworth (gtr); Yuya Honami, Ian Forbes, James Carmichael (dms); Kathryn Lowdon (vcl); Francisco ? (pno).
(Review by Lance).
As the above roll of Honour indicates this was quite a night! Close your eyes and it was easy to imagine you were at a 1940s JATP gig in downtown Los Angeles rather than a 2015 jam in downtown Newcastle 
The house quartet set the mood with Things Ain't What They Used to be, Wave and that always delightful jazz waltz Bluesette.
Joe Fowler slided God Bless the Child before being joined by Hogwarts graduate David Gray for a trombone joust on Hallelujah I Just Love Him/Her So. Big Joe's vocal tipped the scales.
David stayed aboard for the triple titled Theme from Black Orpheus - nice bass playing from dep bassman Robson.
A pause whilst the kit was adjusted to suit the non southpaw stickmen, who were queing up in an orderly fashion, then we were off to the races.
Paul Gowland - on alto tonight - and Yuya Honami - on drums - were Alone Together and then, and then, and then... a Scrapple From The Apple to end all Scrapples!
First Bradley set the pace with Pete, James and Paul in hot pursuit until, in the final furlong, an explosive burst by Yuya made it a photo finish and the winner was - The audience!
Alexis Cairns with Tom Lapworth and Ian Forbes bid Bye Bye to a Blackbird - great Gilligan double time chorus - and trombone wizard Gray returned for Ain't Misbehavin'.
Sylvie Heath, even unmiked, had nice moments on flute by which time Jordan, James Carmichael and Francisco had joined her on Little Sunflower and All of Me (we want More of You!)
Gowland came back for Stella and just about everyone seemed to be up for Stormy Monday with a belting vocal by "T-Bone" Lowdon.
Lance.
(Apologies for crap photo!)
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