Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

18947 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 811 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 28.) 90.

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

September.

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller's Rest, Cockerton, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. For one week only the rehearsal night will be at the Traveller's Rest (open to the public).
Wed 30: Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat ‘King’ Cole @ The Hearth, Horsley. 7:30pm. £15.00., £12.00. (Early Bird advance ticket), £10.00. Off-Broadway production feat. Duane Forrest.
Wed 30: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 30: New Ways of Moving in the Counterworlds + Juliana Day & Manon McCoy + Helen Anahita Wilson @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. A BBC Introducing-Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

October

Thu 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Rivkala @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 01: Hot Club de Heaton @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 01: The Scenic Route @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Alison Gill + Markrokosmos @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music (NFOJAIM).
Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Gilby & Hunter + Andy Champion @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. The Abbie Finn Trio augmented by Dean Stockdale (piano).
Fri 02: Alexia Gardner Trio @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 02: Zoe Rahman Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 8:00pm. NFOJAIM. SOLD OUT!

Sat 03: New Orleans Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Gavin Lee & co.
Sat 03: Anemone Quartet + Jeepe Zeeburg @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Caravan. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Free. Excellent blues band.
Sat 03: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.50 (inc. bf). Two sets: 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. ‘Swing Band Dance Night’.
Sat 03: Olie Brice Quartet + Alexander Hawkins + Harper Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 04: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Heugh Battery, Hartlepool. 11:00am-12 noon & 1:00-2:00pm.
Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 04: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Bill Watson (trumpet).
Sun 04: Sax Choir w. Rachel Musson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Rivkala + Ceitidh Mac + Thatcher & Knowles @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. A NFOJAIM event.
Sun 04: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. RESCHEDULED from September 27.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £3.00.

Mon 05: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 06: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Paul Grainger (double bass).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Sunday, April 05, 2015

New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ St. Augustine's Church Darlington - April 4

(Review by Ray)
Time for our monthly Darlington Jazz trip, today's artistes the 12 strong version of the NCRO - sadly lacking the vocals of Caroline through illness, but with Emma Fisk ably providing the beauty to complement the guys all smartly attired in Dinner Jackets & bow ties.
Having heard the newly released CD "Singing in the Bathtub", which is an excellent buy, we were keen to sample the live version again - NCRO are always hugely entertaining, playing 1920's & 1930's hot dance & swing jazz in authentic arrangements which have your feet tapping away. I'm not aware of any other band that plays in this style, so we are privileged to have them based here in the North East & to be able to enjoy their talents several times a year. 
The inimitable Steve Andrews as ever led the band, his patter reminiscent of Leonard Sachs on the "Good Old Days" TV hit show that ran from 1953 to 1983, his wit greatly appreciated by an attentive packed room, the groans rising in unison at each corny joke or comment but the smiles revealing the pleasure he gave us all.
To the music ...Sweet Jenny Lee set the tone, with an excellent Reindeer Rag reminding us Christmas was but 265 days away ...with the onset of Easter Eggs in stockings it’s easy to get confused! A Duke Ellington number next - The Black & Tan Fantasy followed by the ballad Guilty then back up tempo with Rent Party Blues. Jim serenaded us on That's my Weakness Now, then East St Louis Toodle Oo and Get Out & Get Under the Moon led us to the final number of the first set with Nagasaki.
Second set began with a King Oliver number Too Bad before Jim donned Fez & gave us Palestrina to applause. The 1928 Chocolate Dandies Padukah featured Gavin Lee on clarinet, then Jim back on vocals in Everybody Loves my Girl. Another Duke Ellington number The Mooche saw the trumpet players excel, with I'd Rather be Blue Thinking of You  taking us to the raffle & interval two.
An Easter Egg prize put a smile on my good lady’s lips, so all was well as a Jimmy Noone number Chicago Rhythm kicked on into King Oliver's 1923 hit Chatanooga Stomp. We felt a little blue with Blue Minor then I'm Dancing with Tears in my Eyes, then Emma & Keith combined with a melodic duo as Joe Venutti & Eddie Lang with Sunshine before Business in F and I'll See you in my Dreams gave way to the final number of Limehouse Blues.
All in all another fine afternoon at Darlington, & another packed house illustrated the growing recognition of the excellent Jazz they provide monthly.
Next up Sat 2 May is Jeff Barnhart & John Hallam with Keith Stephen & Bruce Rollo ....that should be another treat !
Ray
Graham Hardy, Alistair Lord (tpts); Neville Hartley (tmb); Jim McBriarty, Alan Marshall, Gavin Lee (reeds), Steve Andrews (compere/ ten  sax); Emma Fisk (vln); Colin Haikney (pno); Keith Stephens (bjo/gtr); Phil Rutherford (sousa); Steve Doyle (dms).  
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive