Total Pageviews

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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

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.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

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.

No comments :

Blog Archive