Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! .
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thu 25: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:00pm. ‘All About the Bass Sessions’. Alexia Gardner, Paula Gardner, Jude Murphy.

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 04, 2016

RIP Johnny Rogers


Just passing on the sad news that Johnny Rogers (Alto) who was one of the original Club 11 founders along with Ronnie Scott,Tony Crombie etc: has died this afternoon. John lived at Lealholm Nr.Whitby and was married to Irene, (Danny Mitchell's daughter) who was with Ivy B. when they married. A great Charlie Parker playalike, who was well feted in the Teesside area when he moved up here. Obituary.
Link to Club 11 documentary.
Gene Jarred.

7 comments :

Lance said...

Thanks Gene for this sad news. Didn't he later work on the railways? Ronnie, Johnny D, Tony, Denis, Joe, Bernie, Lennie, Tommy, Harry, Laurie, Hank and now Johnny Rogers - the last of the great forefathers of British Bebop. May Johnny Rogers, like his departed soulmates RIP.

Bill Montgomery said...

At least, I would guess that, Johnny outlived the 'rozzers' who busted the joint that night at the Club Eleven back then!

Jim Denham said...

Quite a good obit in yesterday's Torygraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12106018/Johnny-Rogers-saxophonist-obituary.html
Confirms that he worked as a signal-man. I've searched Youtube for the BBC Club Eleven programme (which I vaguely remember seeing at the time), but to no avail.

Unknown said...

Hi Jim. My name is Paul Rogers and I am Johnny’s son. I may be able to help you on the Club 11 reunion gig. I had a copy on VHS which in later years I had converted to DVD. Just recently I uploaded the whole thing to YouTube. The YouTube is an hour and 45 mins and contains the gig at Ronnie Scott’s, followed by a program called ‘The Street’, where they sit and reminisce while watching old B&W cine film. The last few minutes is a clip from a news magazine program called ‘Pick of the Week’ where my Dad was invited up to a studio in Leeds because they found his story to be interesting. When he got there he was surprised because Ronnie Scott had made the trip from London just to play a couple of numbers with my Dad. That was the last time he played. To find all this go onto YouTube and search for Club Eleven 25th and it should be the first hit. If you would like a copy of the DVD then email me at pjorogers@tiscali.co.uk and I will send you one.

Jim Denham said...

Thanks Paul: I'll check out Club Eleven 25th and if that fails, get back to you. Thanks so much. Your dad was a great man.

Lance said...

Jim, link now added to post - great program. Not just the music but the banter between the guys!

Jim Denham said...

Found it: fabulous!

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