Total Pageviews

7329812

Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

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!!

Blog Archive