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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

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.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, 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, January 20, 2016

Jazz Café Jam Session - January 19.

(Review by Lance).
Once again the faithful turned out in their hordes for the Jazz Café Jam Session. The house trio set the ball rolling in 3/4 time - didn't recognise the tune although it did sound vaguely familiar. Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most, Scarborough Fair and More Than You Know followed before the first re-shuffle.
Stu Finden - the best bass playing saxophonist I know - took over from Grainger and Mrs Finden sang Bernie's Tune and Lester Leaps In before leaping out.
Nick Gould came down from Edinburgh hoping for warmer weather - as if! However, it didn't effect his tenor playing - straight down the middle renditions of  On Green Dolphin St., Out of Nowhere and My Foolish Heart - good swinging stuff.
Now a big, time taking, shuffle. A mix of young and old faces. Liu He, a Chinese student (I guess), sang The Nearness of You and Blue Moon with backing and good solos from Chris Jones on guitar and James Robson on bass. The quartet was rounded off by veteran drummer (although not the oldest drummer in the room) Eric Stutt. Look forward to hearing them again.
Gilligan returned for There Will Never be Another You and All Blues, the latter featuring Robson. Paul Wilson took over on piano for Blue Bossa, joined surreptitiously by Paul Gowland blowing tenor this week. Autumn Leaves rounded off this portion of evening in slightly confusing fashion as sometimes happens at jams. 
Gilligan and Grainger returned as did Ian Forbes who was the oldest drummer in the room if not the world! Nothing senile about his playing. Watch What Happens the tune.
Gowland came back aboard for In a Sentimental Mood then Gould joined him for a two tenor front line - the Jazz Couriers ride again!.
I think the tune may have been Shearing's Conception but I could be wrong - I often am!
What's in a name anyway? This was classic - two top tenors, contrasting styles but complementary.
 to each other. Ace rhythm section - Shangri-la. Unfortunately, with the Central Metro closing at 8pm and the 27 bus not stopping at Shangri-la I had to leave before the great amen.
Quite a session!
Lance.
Photos.
Pete Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Russ Morgan (dms) + Fiona Finden (vcl); Stu Finden (bs); Nick Gould (ten); Liu He (vcl); James Robson (bs); Chris Jones (gtr); Eric Stutt (dms); Paul Wilson (pno); Paul Gowland (ten); Ian Forbes (dms).
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