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

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.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
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: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. 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

Monday, January 25, 2016

PARIS-SUR-TYNE @ The Lit and Phil January 24 (Evening Session)

Théo Ceccaldi (violin); Valentin Ceccaldi (cello); Guillaume Aknine (guitar); Corey Mwamba (vibes); Roberto Negro (piano); Xavier Camarasa (piano); Andy Champion (bass); Sylvain Darrifourcq (drums)
(Review by Steve H - photos to follow) 
The evening got off to a great start with the duet Babies featuring Roberto Negro on piano and Théo Ceccaldi on violin. A riveting piece of almost contemporary classical music which reminded me very much of Bela Bartok. Negro almost attacked the inside of the piano as much as the conventional method of striking the keys.
This was followed by the numerically challenged Milesdavisquintet which in fact was a trio comprising of Xavier Camarasa (piano) Valentin Ceccaldi (cello), and Sylvain Darrifourcq (drums)!  I would sum up the style as ‘Acoustic Industrial Techno Jazz ‘as the band took us from the musical equivalent of ‘The Spinning Jenny’ through to ‘The Large Hadron Collider’. Once again the piano took a fair bit of a battering and not to be outdone the cello also seemed to come under attack from the back of Ceccaldi’s bow. Various members in the audience quivered with anxiety for the well-being of the instruments but it all added to a wonderfully exhilarating set.
Sonsale is an Anglo French conglomeration who came together a couple of years ago. From this side of the channel we had Corey Mwamba (vibes, pipes, screams) and Andy Champion (bass) and from La Manche, Valentin Ceccaldi (cello), and Sylvain Darrifourcq (drums). The band produced a primal symphonic set with wonderful vocal outbursts from Corey Mwamba to keep everyone on their toes.
The finale couldn’t be anything other than a Ménage à Huit as all 8 musicians came together for one magnificent orchestral mash up.
Steve.

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