Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18897 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 761 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 11.) 40.

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

September.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 17: Front Porch Blues @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 17: Amphitrio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £7.00. Andrei Petrache (piano); Mike Alex (double bass); Philip Goron (drums).
Thu 17: Miles 100 @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. Jack Courtney (trumpet); Sue Ferris (tenor sax); Tom Atkinson (guitar); Alan Law (piano); Deon Krishnan (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums). A night of Miles Davis.
Thu 24: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free. .

Fri 18: Danny Lownes’ Hot Club @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Mark Williams Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 18: Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00., £5.00. student.
Fri 18: Rivkala + Beccy Sloan @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.
Sat 19: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner: Nina Simone. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 19: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Swing 16 @ The Globe Jazz Bar - April 24

Kay Usher (vln); Bradley Johnston, Simon Stephenson, John Usher (gtrs); Dave Parker (bs) + Julie Allen.
(Review by Lance)
Debut gigs are usually good audience-wise.The leader makes an effort, invites friends who invite friends and bingo! You've got a full house. We saw this previously with Minnie and the Moochers. The moral being, if you've got a gig, push it, don't assume they'll just turn up - you're rarely the only game in town.
Tonight saw a very good turnout for this latest Djangolic reincarnation. The original line-up, i.e. violin, three guitars and double bass? Well, not exactly, Kay Usher fiddled a solid bodied violin and the guitars were not three Maccas but one Macca, one f holed electro/acoustic and one standard steel-strung plugged in acoustic.
So this wasn't quite the authenticity they were seeking - or maybe it was.
What did matter was that they gave an outstanding performance recreating those heady Parisian days of yore before they became days of war. Kay Usher, ex Northern Sinfonia, displayed an understanding of the idiom both in her solos and in her informative chat between tunes.
Bradley took most of the guitar solos although Simon also impressively  plucked his way in and out. Rhythm man John grabbed a few choruses on  It Don't Mean a Thing . but this was Kay's caper!
The music was superb - it was like as though I was sipping Dubonnet in a café  in Montmartre in 1940, confident that the Seigfried Line would save madame et moi from any inconvenience. Or maybe having a cup of Fortnum & Mason's in a Lyons Corner House during the Blitz ('That noise? Oh it's probably one of those bally Doodlebugs").
Although a fairly predictable repertoire, this didn't detract mine, or the crowd's, obvious enjoyment: Lady Be Good; All of Me; Don't Get Around Much Anymore; It Don't Mean a Thing; Exactly Like You; Mood Indigo; Pennies From Heaven; Minor Swing; Out of Nowhere; Undecided (with a reference to the upcoming Referendum - don't get me started!); Nuages; Djangology; I Can't Believe That You're in Love With me and Sweet Georgia Brown. For this latter number, Julie Allen accepted Kay's invite to sing and chantez she did - tres bon!
Photos.
Lance.
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