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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Sophie Speed with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ Longframlington Memorial Hall. 7:00pm (doors). Tickets: £12.00. from 01665 570984.
Fri 16: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 16: Peter Donegan & Anthony Donegan @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. ‘Lonnie Donegan - The Stories’.

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ 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

Monday, December 21, 2015

Jazz in the Afternoon Xmas Party - Crescent Club, Cullercoats - Dec. 21


Derek Fleck (ten/clt); Brian Chester (keys/tmb); John Hallam (bs/sousa); Ollie Rillands (dms/vcl) + Miles Watson (tpt/vcl); John Broddle (vcl); Teresa Armstrong (vcl); Roy Gibson (keys).
(Review by Lance).
And so the Christmas party season rolls on. Today it was the turn of the Crescent Club at Cullercoats to deal out the delicious delicacies. Sausage rolls, nibbles on sticks, open sandwiches, some unidentified objects - the mystery adding to the sense of adventure without detracting from the taste - and, if this wasn't enough, there was also real ale at £2 a pint and a raffle with 15 prizes.
Oh yes, there was music too!
Jazz!
In the afternoon!
Shangri-la.
JITA have held down the Monday lunchtime slot here for quite a number of years, and, despite the aging audience, the numbers don't appear to have dropped.
Derek Fleck, when he wasn't sleeping, blew some great mainstream tenor and clarinet. It's Only a Paper Moon and Wabash Blues being a couple of early gems. Miles Watson got into the spirit of things with Jingle Bells.
Ollie sang Green Door and the dancers took to the floor. Jazz me Blues from Derek before John Broddle gave out with Winter Wonderland and Lazy River. The set finished with more Ollie on Route 66 and The More I See You.
Raffle time - with 15 prizes, surely I couldn't lose?
I lost!
Friends old and new to catch up with. Gordon Solomon, former trombonist and leader of the River City Jazzmen being in the former category whilst in the latter, I met Sheila, wife of the late saxophone player Stan Slate. Stan played pro in many big bands during the 'Archer St. years'. Anyone recall him?
The second set opened with Teresa singing That Old Feeling, Mean to Me and I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams. Teresa, I swear, sounds even better as she, how can I put this?, gets less younger - and not an ipod or lyric sheet in sight!
An almighty sousaphone had been, like the Sword of Damocles, ominously lurking at the side of the stage throughout the afternoon. Now it sprung into action, curled around John Hallam's body like an overfed boa constrictor, aided and abetted by Chester the piano man who'd become Chester the trombone man and Miles, now wearing a bowler hat and singing Dinah.
Jollity prevailed.
John Broddle threw himself back into the fray for I'll See You in my Dreams (a bit early at 3pm - except for Derek!) including, the verse! I think this must have been the first time I'd heard anyone sing the verse - Bravo John. There'll be Some Changes Made had a "One more one time" coda squared!
Then it was metro time. As I left John was singing Let's Dance and several people were!
Very enjoyable.
Lance.

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