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

Friday, June 17, 2016

CD Review: Clare Teal w. The Hallé Orchestra - Twelve O'Clock Tales

(Review by Lance).
Ahead of Teal's Doris Day tribute at York's Theatre Royal (tomorrow, June 18) comes this timely reminder of what a class act Clare Teal is. Few singers on either side of the Atlantic can handle a lyric as effectively as she can. Put Teal in front of the Hallé Orchestra, give her some arrangements by Guy Barker, Grant Windsor and Jason Rebello, have a few jazzmen hovering in the wings and the ingredients are all there for a first class album.
It Might as Well be Spring - arranged by Barker and inspired by an Elaine Delmar/Brian Dee arrangement. What a performance!
Feeling Good - arranged by Windsor, sax solo by Dixon.
Wild is the Wind - arranged by Barker, trumpet solo by Mike Lovatt,
Sans Souci - arranged by Barker. A Peggy Lee/Johnny Burke opus.
I'll Never Stop Loving You - arranged Barker, piano solo by Rebello. Originally recorded by Doris Day in the film Love me or Leave me . Teal gives a delicious sample of what the York audience can expect tomorrow!
La Belle Dame Sans Regret - arranged by Rebello and composed by Sting. Rebello solos and has a duo vocal moment. There's also a flute solo by Katherine Baker.
Lush Life - arranged by Barker, Teal gives the Strayhorn classic new life.
Never Again - arranged Windsor. A piece by Tim Rice and Alan Menkin that   brings Teal's emotive side to the fore.
Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most - arranged by Barker. A masterly setting that gives Teal the perfect surrounds for her reflective interpretation. A sympathetic arrangement worthy of Nelson Riddle or Gordon Jenkins.
Always True to You in my Fashion - arranged by Barker. One of the classic versions of this Cole Porter tune was by Peggy Lee and the George Shearing Quintet. Barker has used that version to fashion this arrangement and Teal does Peggy proud.
Whole (It Isn't Like Me) - arranged Windsor. A Teal original in collaboration with Windsor and Amanda Louise Field.
Secret Love - arranged Barker back to Doris for perhaps her most famous hit. An elaborate explorative arrangement that reveals a rarely heard verse.
The Folks Who Live on the Hill - arranged Barker. Forever associated with Peggy Lee, this version is up there too!
Paradisi Carousel - arranged Barker. Another Teal/Field original.
Could well be my vocal record of the year!
Lance.
Clare Teal (vcl) w. Hallé Orchestra cond. Stephen Bell + Mike Lovatt (tpt); Iain Dixon, Rob Buckland; Carl Raven, Jim Muirhead, Valerie Stark (saxes); Gordon Campbell (tmb); Jason Rebello (pno); Mitch Dalton (gtr); Jeremy Brown (bs); Matt Skelton (dms).

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