Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Thu 13: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 13: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! Back on Aug. 27.
Thu 13: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: John Settle Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. John Settle (vibes); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 14: Bold Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00 + bf.

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Friday, November 13, 2015

Pilgrim St. Set @ Hoochie Coochie - Nov. 12

Richard Burns (tpt); Gary Turner (ten); Paul Edis (pno); Paul Susans (bs gtr); Rob Walker (dms).
(Review by Lance).
I'm running out of superlatives for these guys. What can you say about a band that gets better month by month - particularly when they were something special to begin with!?
Band originals smattered with a couple of contemporary standards. One of this latter category, a Wayne Shorter tune, was dedicated to my humble self. I didn't catch the title but someone suggested that it may have been a reference to the ill-founded rumour of my advancing years. Rubbish! I'll take anyone on at conkers, which just happened to be the name of one of Master Turner's compositions (it may have been Conkers, Conquers or even the Geordie version - Konkas. Whatever, it was a number that kicked up the dust.
A band of many dimensions: Turner looking to reach another galaxy, Burns, by nature, closer to other galaxies, coming down to Earth and burning the sand. Edis, the visionary, a man with a coat of many colours but never a straight jacket. Susans, the rock. Leo Fender surely had Paul in mind even though Paul wasn't born! Then there's Rob Walker - not just a drummer but a composer too! His Autumn Afternoon had me hooked just by the title, although, it has to be said, it began totally boring and ended up totally compelling - best number of the night by a whisker!
Richard Burns' take on The Bill was a car chase, a car crash, an investigation into how to make jazz grab the unusual suspects - subtitle it Sun Hill Boogie.
There was more, so much more, but, just imagine going into Birdland or the Blue Note back in the good old days, maybe you'd find the music at Hoochie on the second Thursday of each month on a par. Not only that, no cover, no minimum and cocktails are 2 for 1. Plus, think of what you're saving on the air fare!
If the rightly acclaimed youth band Jambone can get a slot at this year's EFG London Jazz Festival then the Pilgrim St. Set are worthy of a gig next year.
Lance.

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