Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

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

Monday, July 20, 2015

Summertyne Americana: The McCrary Sisters/Cedric Burnside @ Sage Gateshead - July 19.

McCrary Sisters (Alfreda, Ann, Deborah, Regina) - vocals + keys; bs; gtr; dms.
(Review by Lance/Photos from Sage Gateshead Facebook page.).
I shouldn't have worn my grey flannel strides - amidst all the denim I felt like a city slicker at the Saturday Night Fish Fry. 
That was my first mistake. The second one was forgetting my pen. I know that in this brave new world pen and paper are practically obsolete but with me the old order has yet to walk on by. So, upon arrival at Sage Nashville, I forked out a couple of sawbucks for a dandy looking blue pen at the trading post where they sell dandy looking blue pens. It also had Sage Gateshead printed on the side - a keepsake.
The McClary girls came on stage and, with a great band behind them, I made to write WOW backwards. This was when my pen exploded! A lady across the aisle caught part of it, the writing bit shot elsewhere and, for all I know, the tiny spring is still in orbit!
However, now that I'm home on the range, I realise I didn't need a pen at all because what those gals were putting down defied mere written superlatives!
Imagine, say, the Boswell Sisters meeting the Supremes at the Holy Tabernacle Church and you've got the picture. Put simply, they were sensational! With the lead vocals changing from number to number it was impossible to single out one above the rest and the tight harmonies made the overall sound something else. Standing ovation.
WOW!
Cedric Burnside (gtr/vcl/dms); Trenton Ayers (gtr).
The show began with some country blues from Burnside singing solo and 'companying himself on guitar. Long time musical associate Trenton Ayers joined him, Cedric vacated guitar for drum kit and the duo moved towards Chicago and Detroit taking the crowd with them on a roller coaster ride. The drums were given a workout, the guitar thrashed, the audience roared. The tempos varied, the words were different, the sound the same.
Jack Daniels set to music. 
Roll on next year!
Lance.

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