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

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.

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

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

Friday, April 29, 2016

Gerry Richardson Soul Quartet @ Hoochie Coochie - April 28

Gerry Richardson (Hammond/vcl); Garry Linsley (alt); Rod Sinclair (gtr); Paul Smiith (dms).
(Review by Lance).
Woo Hoo! cried the crowd after each number - it was that sort of crowd - and it wasn't long before I was woo-hooing with them! It's that sort of band, mere clapping isn't enough. Tonight, despite there being competition from the east (SSBB), the south (Gala BB) and a Cuban threat from the west (Descarga!) the hoochies and the coochies kept the faith.
 A good turn out richly rewarded by some of the funkiest/soulful organic jazz this side of the Chicken Shack. It didn't matter that Gerry's pedalboard stopped pedalling, the bass end of the SK2 compensated and, in doing so, saved Gerry's socks from some wear and tear.
A mix of covers and originals saw our man travel the streets and the dirt roads that Jimmy Smith, McDuff, McGriff and Billy Preston once tread. They showed him the way but now he's ahead! 
Rod Sinclair in there pitching on Telecaster, the ideal axe for this jazz/blues gig. Leo Fender, way up there, was surely nodding his head in approval - maybe even doing some celestial woo-hooing himself! 
Garry Linsley, always good to hear his alto playing. Tyneside's loss, Cumbria's gain, apart from tonight that is. Tonight Cumbria is in mourning! 
Paul Smith, right there on the money every beat of the way, this was a night to remember but, unlike SSTitanic in the film of the same name (A Night to Remember), the icebergs just melted upon impact.
Be it solo, duo, trio, quartet or Big Idea this is the real deal.
Lance.

2 comments :

stevebfc said...

Should get a top notch singer in to complete the picture

Lance said...

Steve, they have a top notch singer - Gerry!

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