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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00. CANCELLED!

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: David Gray's Flextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’.
Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

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

Friday, March 13, 2015

Pilgrim St Set @ Hoochie Coochie - March 12. (Take 2)

Richard Burns (tpt); Gary Turner (ten); Paul Edis (pno); Paul Susans (bs); Rob Walker (dms).

(Review/photo by Jerry)
Richard Burns keeps exhorting us to tip the bar-staff: I never have (short arms, deep pockets) but I really ought to. They shine. Everything at Hoochie Coochie shines – the chrome fittings, the bar-top, the neon lights and as for the musicians…..

The Pilgrim St. Set just get better & better.” Apologies to Warren, whom I am quoting, but I’m sure I THOUGHT it first! What I particularly like is that, over time, the ratio of covers (“bed covers” / “Saturday night covers”??) to originals has shifted to the point where only two numbers tonight (I think) were covers: Zappa’s Chunga’s Revenge and Soli by Gong. The rest were all high-octane, high quality originals by band members and I managed to catch some titles this time!
Ventouse was penned by Paul Susans and Progress by Richard Burns: Gary Turner gave us Armadillo and (his take on An English Country Garden?) Plantlife.
An Edis original opened the second set and was followed by Number One, inspired by Burns’ experiences of “riding the bus.” In the intro he tried whistling into the mic’ then, dissatisfied with the result, inverted his trumpet and whistled across one of the valves before returning to conventional playing. Shame – there must be a place in jazz for Pan Pipe improv? All seemed mellow to begin with (or was it just that I had graduated from Beck’s Blue to London Pride?) but something exciting must have happened mid-journey judging by the electrifying solos. It’s a pity Burns now has a car (he told us so last month) as who knows what the 21X from Bishop Auckland might have inspired!
He also told us last month about building a compost store and tonight we learnt that he was moving house (“any volunteers?”). When he asserts that people seeking anecdotes are “clearly in the wrong place” he is seriously under-selling himself!
The second set also featured a “world premiere” of an Edis original – Elastic – which Burns declared “difficult – it has 20 notes” but the band managed to stretch to that! And Conkers (Gary Turner) which the tall trumpeter averred was about “smashing your mate in the face when you’re a kid”! It certainly made an impact with the audience who demanded an encore…..and were rewarded with Spug(?) by Paul Susans for which my scribbled notes were: “slow-burner – lotsa noise eventually – Rob goes crazy” , as did we all!
Warren says he “knows nowt”: I probably know less but I know what I like. This excellent venue and these musicians are giving me more and more of what I like!

Jerry.

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