Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18818 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 682 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 20) 51.

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

From This Moment On

August

Tue 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 27: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 27: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 28: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 29: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:30pm (doors). £32.00.

Sun 30: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Tango Jazz Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

Jamie Toms and Not Now Charlie

I put the group together back in 2013 to try out some compositions I had been working on and after some good feedback from the players we agreed to try and take it further.  We then got the opportunity to debut the project at the 2014 GIJF which was well received by a large concourse audience and thus Not Now Charlie was born.  Although we had all played together in various other groups we had never worked much in this small band line up before and so, after GIJF, we took some time to try and get a group sound going, write new material and to familiarise our new drummer Dave McKeague with the set.
The first outing of the new line up was at Cluny 2 in Jan 2015 supporting Slowlight Quartet.  We got lots of positive feedback from this gig wrote more tunes so that we could present a set of entirely original music on our next outing.  It has taken a while but it’s finally here - Feb 12 @ The Jazz Cafe.
The band are all graduates of the Jazz Degree but have a wide range of musical influences.  With a love for jazz, rock, pop, neo soul and R&B it was inevitable that Not Now Charlie’s music would reflect many of these elements.  Melody and groove are at the heart of our playing and they aim to have even the non-jazz lover hooked.  Taking our influence from the likes of Christian Scott, Manu Katche, Chris Potter, Roller Trio and Joshua Redman yet still managing to create their own individual sound.
Some demos are available on our website (notnowcharlie.com).
Support is from the new line up of Saxophonics (now featuring Alan Marshall), but I assume I don’t need to tell you much about those guys! 
Jamie

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