Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 2026.

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

18246 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 100 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 31), 100

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Durham Alumni Big Band & Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Theatre. 7:30pm. £12.00. Two big bands on stage together!
Fri 06: Nauta + Littlewood Trio @ Little Buildings, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Double bill + jam session.
Fri 06: FILM: Made in America @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Ornette Coleman.
Fri 06: Deep Six Blues @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, 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

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Fogies of the World Unite!

Paul Bream, in his latest Jazz Alert, refers to a comment made by Bill Harper, no less!,"as Anyway how do you find good songs since the 60s as the art of good song writing died with the advent of Rock & Roll & Andrew Lloyd Webber?"
Paul's comment? "As an example of cloth-eared fogeyism that takes some beating!"
Bill Harper has cloth ears? Perhaps Red Rodney (pictured with Bill), Lockjaw Davis, Sweets Edison, Al Grey and countless other JNE imports would disagree after their Corner House sessions with Bill on piano!
Bill and his wife Anne, now long domiciled in France, have always supported jazz and, in the days of Chris Yates, Jazz North East.
Suddenly, fogey doesn't seem such a bad title!
Lance Fogey

5 comments :

stevebfc said...

Dear Mr Fogey
Does this mean that BSH agrees that there hasn't been a decent tune written since the 60s?
Regards
Steve 'the best tunes are still to be written'

Lance said...

Of course not, I seem to think there was at least one although, I can't think of its name off hand. Maybe it's one of the ones that are still to be written.

JC said...

Whatever about Rock and Roll, like Paul Bream I too would want to champion the songwriting skills of Andrew Lloyd Webber....
JC

Liz said...

agree!

Russell said...

Billy Harper cloth eared? Is this the same Billy Harper who received countless plaudits from American stars visiting the Corner House Hotel in Newcastle to play a Jazz North East engagement? Is this the same Billy Harper who sat poised listening to the codas of the great horn players and found the right chord every time? Calling Billy Harper cloth eared, in this, Jazz North East’s fiftieth year, is to traduce the name of a fine pianist and all those who worked tirelessly to promote memorable gigs.

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