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

18122 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1086 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Dec. 31), 100

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 07: FILM: Blue Moon @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Dir. Richard Linklater’s biopic of Lorenz Hart.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 08: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones of 1976.

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.

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, December 16, 2015

Jazz Café Jam Session - Dec. 15

Pete Gilligan (pno); Mike Clarke (bs gtr). Paul Wight (dms); Bradley Johnston (gtr) + Gary Brown (bs gtr); Stu Finden (ten); Matt MacKellar (dms); Paul Gowland (alt); John Pope (bs); George Anyfantis (pno);Rob Bates (dms); Lindsay Hannon, Jen Errington (vcl).
(Review by Lance).
Mike Clarke on bass guitar tonight who, along with Messrs Gilligan and Wight, opened with the very appropriate A Foggy Day. At first it seemed as though the misty conditions outside were going to keep the punters indoors - as if! By the time Alice in Wonderland unfolded (with a very melodic bass solo from Clarke) the Mad Hatters and March Hares were propping up the bar and occupying the seating area. So What? Dear Old Stockholm and Blue Monk followed before the first of the many switcheroo's common to jam sessions.
Guitarist Bradley Johnston, tenorman Stu Finden and and bass guitarist Gary Brown joined Gilligan and Wight for Blue Bossa and The Chicken. Brown, making his Jazz Café debut, proved to be au fait with the Pastorius classic and soloed well.
The southpaw kit was rearranged for young Matt MacKellar to take over, Paul Gowland joined Stu in the front line and a spirited Bye Bye Blackbird followed by (I think) Solar . Next up John Pope and Rob Bates for Tangerine, Gowland leading the field with great solos all round although the seemingly obligatory 4's didn't quite gel - no clockwork orange this tangerine but that's jam sessions for you and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Gowland gave us a version of Polka Dots and Moonbeams that surely left any aspiring sax players star-struck, before George Anyfantis took over on piano for All of Me and the Black Orpheus thing.
Up to now there had been no vocals although the Indigo Jazz Voices were assembled at the back of the room. 
Hello Lindsay Hannon!
I Only Have Eyes For You she sang swingingly and then the miracle!
You've Changed (The sparkle in your eyes has gone/Your smile is just a careless yawn/Your breaking my heart/You've changed). The room went quiet, the carousers momentarily ceased carousing! As I said, a miracle!
It took guts and no shortage of courage to follow that but Indigo Jen Errington proved up to the task with a splendid East of the Sun. It was at this point that I had to head east myself. It had been yet another fine jam session - the last jam at the Jazz Café this year.
Photos.
Lance.

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

And after Lance left, Jen rounded the evening off well with 'When Sunny Gets Blue'.
Ann Alex

Russell said...

How good was Jen, eh? Great, and she followed Lindsay!

Jen said...

Thanks so much for your comments. It's good getting positive feedback and gives me the confidence needed to may be get up at the Caff again sometime!
Jen

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