Bebop Spoken There

John Donegan: ''What you take in through your ears can come out through your fingers.'' (Notes to Which Direction October, 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

19,041 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 905 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 26) 84.

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

October.

Tue 27: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. guest Julija Jacenaite.
Tue 27: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).

Wed 28: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 28: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 28: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 29: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 29: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 29: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 29: Radio Pensacola Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Featuring guest Jan Spencelayh.
Thu 29: Simon Taylor Band @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. £8.00.
Thu 29: King Bees @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 31: Saltburn Big Band + Durham Alumni Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Sat 31: East Coast Swing Band @ Cramlington Village Club, Park View, Cramlington NE23 6QJ. 7:30pm. £10.00. (from venue).

November

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Donna Hewitt (tenor sax, clarinet)
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Sarah Heneghan Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Jazz Café Jam Session - Sept. 15

Peter Gilligan (pno); John Pope (bs/bs gtr); Paul Wight (dms) + Paul Edis (pno); Nick Gould/Paul Gowland/Stu Finden (ten); Fi Finden (sop/vcl); Jordan Alonzo (alt); Luke Stewart-Smith (bs); Joe Fowler (tmb); Thanos/Tom Lapworth (gtr); Marek Podstawek/Matt MacKellar/Rob Bates (dms).
(Review by Lance).
As the above line-up (apologies if I've missed anyone) indicates this was quite a night! The room was crowded, the joint was jumpin'. Axemen were jostling to get up and blow, the bar was doing good business and there were many new faces in the audience and a few different languages.
At one stage the playing area was a train crash as the drum set up was changed from southpaw to orthodox, amps were plugged and unplugged, microphones sought after, keys decided upon - the usual jam session activities.
As per, the evening began with the house trio of Gilligan, Pope and Wight setting the pace with Emily; Speak Low and Time Remembered.
Nick Gould dropped down from Edinburgh (as one does), Paul Edis flew in from Chester-le-St (or wherever), the pair, along with Pope and Wight, met On Green Dolphin Street. Love For Sale - an appropriate song for those of us who remember Pink Lane from years ago - and My Foolish Heart sounded good.
The Findens, along with Tom Lapworth on guitar and a stickman from Poland - Marek Podstawek - played what may have been Tenor Madness but probably wasn't.
Things started to get confused around about now as musos came and went. Paul Gowland took over on tenor, Jordan Alonzo added alto, Joe Fowler blew his new synthetic trombone - the sound was anything but synthetic - Matt and Rob on kit and Thanos, guitar, along with Stewart-Smith, bass, combined to keep things afloat.
I, unfortunately, couldn't stay until the end as I'm sure there were others who may well have contributed. As I left I noticed "Blue Hat" with tenor case but whether "Blue Hat" blew I didn't have time to find out. The Central Metro station now closes at 8pm Sunday to Thursday (until June next year!) so it meant a trip across town to the castle and the good old number 27.
Photos.
Lance.

5 comments :

Liz said...

three cheers for the 27!

Patti D. said...

Great review, Lance - and Mr Blue Hat didn't get the chance with his tenor ....... the lights flickered for the end of the session shortly after you left. And you're right - the joint was jumping ......

Anonymous said...

*sought after

Lance said...

There's always one! Thank you Ms Anonymous-Pernickety for pointing out that grave error of mine. I will correct it immediately!

Liz said...

it wasn't me!!

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