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

Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ YOLO, Ponteland. 7:00pm. ‘Swing & Jazz Night’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 18: Joe Steels & Friends @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:30pm. Free (donations).

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.

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, November 25, 2015

CD Review: Steve Fishwick/Osian Roberts/Frank Basile Sextet - In The Empire State.

Steve Fishwick (tpt); Osian Roberts (ten); Frank Basile (bar); Jeb Patton (pno); Mike Karn (bs); Matt Fishwick (dms).
(Review by Lance).
The CDs drop through the letterbox daily. Sometimes my eyes light up with delight but, more often than not, I groan and wonder, wtf will I make of this!
I'm pleased to say that this album is very much in the former category. In fact it epitomises what this site was primarily aimed at - bebop in the new millennium. Recorded in New York last year after the Fishwick Bros and Roberts, along with New Yorkers Basile, Patton and Karn played several gigs in the Big Apple as part of Dave Douglas' Festival of New Trumpet. 
What a richly deserved accolade for Steve who isn't always given his due as one of the UK's finest jazz trumpet players.
Steve can blow, as can long time frontline partner Roberts. Both the Fishwicks and Roberts are able to hold their own in fast company and the company here is very fast indeed! Basile, an on-call 24 hour baritone man, displays why he is in such demand and it is to the Brits' credit that they stand tall - shades of Tubby's transatlantic forays. If the album had been released under Basile's name I'd have assumed it was an all-American line-up.
Steve provided  two of the originals as well as arranging How Deep is the Ocean. Osian chipped in with three compositions and Basile had two as well as an arrangement of My Blue Heaven that suggested that 'just honey and me, and baby makes three' now had a hip grandkid!
Lullaby For Eira and Enid are dedicated to Roberts daughters - they must be lovely to inspire such beauty.
I first heard Steve and Osian at one of the Scarborough festivals, Steve and Matt also played an early gig at Hoochie.
This is the real deal. Good enough for Dave Douglas - good enough for me!
Sample.
Lance.
They're touring next February on an Arts Council grant.
Feb. 3: Scarborough.
Feb. 4: Aberdeen.
Feb. 5: Sheffield.
Feb. 7: Southport.
Feb. 8: Ronnie Scott's
Feb. 9: Ronnie Scott's.
Feb. 10: 606- Club.
Feb. 11:Cambridge.
Feb. 12: Brighton.
at

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