Bebop Spoken There

Ludovic Beier (Django Festival Allstars): ''Manouche means 'free man,' and gypsies have been travelers since they migrated west from India to Europe.'' (DownBeat March, 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

18361 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 215 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 8 ), 25

From This Moment On ...

March

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. 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

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Fri 13: Paul Skerritt Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00.
Fri 13: The SH#RP Collective @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
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: Soothsayers + Rookie Numbers @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.

Sat 14: The Too Bad Jims @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. R&B.
Sat 14: NUJO @ Venue, Newcastle University Students’ Union. Time TBC. £15.00. supporter; £10.00. standard; £5.00. student. Seated event.

Sun 15: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 15: The Too Bad Jims @ The Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. £12.00. R&B.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Rebecca Poole @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Poole w. Dean Stockdale & Ken Marley. CANCELLED!

Mon 16: Milne Glendinning Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 16: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Scotty Adair (drums).

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

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Info wanted on St. Joseph's College Jazz Band - 1958.

(From Karl Crompton)
On my usual trip to the local charity shop, I have a good rummage through the boxes of vinyl.  It’s usually hit and miss when I go through the 7" box, especially when I haven’t got my glasses with me.
On this last visit I picked up a single as I didn’t recognise the label, and the weight of the single was unusually heavy.
On closer inspection, the label has a Morton Sound logo proudly straddling the Tyne Bridge and I think it must be acetate as it’s aluminium with a thin coating of nitrocellulose lacquer that has the sound groove, from the master tape, cut into it.
The band is The Joseph College Jazz Band 1958 -1959. 
The 3 tracks are A.  I Never Knew/B. St. Louis Blues and Sister Kate Blues
Band members are Bob Kennedy (Trombone); Ken Black (Cornet); John Burns (bjo); Denis Clark (bs) and Peter Fenwick (Drums).
It plays fair, a bit scratchy as you would expect but listenable.  The description of the tracks, songs and band members are hand written on both sides.  Also stamped on both sides in red is Copy of Customers Own Recording.
As it looks like a personal recording for the band members not for commercial distribution, this may be a long shot but, do you know any of the band members or have any way of getting in touch with past members of the band.  Also their family members might be interested in being re united with this little gem of music.
Karl Crompton
Leeds.
PS: St Joseph's College Dumfries is on the label.

2 comments :

Dave Kerr said...

I'm unfamiliar with the Joseph College Band I suspect that they came to Newcastle just to make the record or possibly one of the members was brought up locally and knew of the recording studio. I have several of the private records made at Morton Sounds in my collection all by local musicians it was the only way to record before cheap tape recorders.

Lance said...

Interesting to note the address as 12 Oxford St. I only remember them being in Carliol Square.

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