Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! .
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thu 25: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:00pm. ‘All About the Bass Sessions’. Alexia Gardner, Paula Gardner, Jude Murphy.

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

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Be a Jazz Volunteer (in Birmingham)

(Press release)
Calling all music fans – fancy being a volunteer for one of the world’s largest jazz fests right here on your doorstep?
The organisers of the annual Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival are on the lookout for hands-on volunteers to help distribute programmes for next month’s musical extravaganza that will see 177 live performances in 78 venues – most of them for free.
Now in its 31st year, the 10-day event, which runs from Friday, July 3 to Sunday, July 12, attracts some of the biggest names in the jazz world with musicians from Australia, Czech Republic, France, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Sweden and the USA alongside top UK talent.
Director Jim Simpson said: “Volunteers play a big role in the festival line-up and we are always on the lookout for spare pairs of hands to helps us distribute the programme.
“This year promises to be one of our most exciting festivals to date with a daily average of 36 hours of free jazz and blues across the whole of the 10 days and we’d like to spread that message as wide as possible.
“If anyone would like to volunteer please get in touch with the festival team it’s a fantastic event that brings together jazz superstars from across the globe and we just want everyone to come along and join the fun.”
International acts making their UK debuts include Stockholm Stompers (Sweden), Hot Jazz Alliance (USA/Australia), The Schwings featuring Laura Budreckyte (Lithuania) and Sarah Lenka (France), while domestic newcomers the much-acclaimed Harpers Ferry, Malaya Blue, Blues Engine and emerging songstress Ella Squirrell join the festival line-up. Returning Euro-favourites include Florence Joelle (France), Pepper & The Jellies (Italy) and Saxitude (Luxembourg).
For full programme details visit www.birminghamjazzfestival.com
The jam-packed programme also includes:
• Music in Surprising Places will take in New Street and Snow Hill stations, Selfridges, Gracechurch Centre, a canal boat, libraries and restaurants
• A pop-up dance hall, at Regency Wharf, off Broad Street and The Dark Horse, Moseley
• Free music workshops for youngsters, with eight instrument sessions at Birmingham Music School ranging from Beginner Guitar to An Interactive History of Hip Hop
• A record fair, talks and photographic exhibitions, plus 19 film screenings, including the Midlands premiere of the Amy Winehouse documentary, Amy, at the Electric Cinema.
• Performances by the Chinese Jitterbug Squad at various venues throughout the festival
• Drum masterclass with Peter York, founder member of the Spencer Davis Group
• Three-day Holiday in Birmingham tribute marking the centenary of blues legend Billie Holiday.
Further information available from Festival Director Jim Simpson:
Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival, Po Box 944, Birmingham, B16 8UT
Tel: 
0121 454 7020 - www.bigbearmusic.com - admin@bigbearmusic.com

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