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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Thu 29: The Noel Dennis Band @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £10.84. Quartet plus special guest Zoë Gilby. Over 35s only. Rescheduled from December 4th.
Thu 29: Oh No Noh + Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £16.45., £13.28., £12.22., £9.04. Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Steadman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Steadman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

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: TBC.
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.

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

Wednesday, June 08, 2016

Jazz Café Jam Session - June 7


Pete Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Matthew MacKellar (dms) + Michael Lamb (tpt); Tom Atkinson (dms); Paul Gowland (alt); Minnie Fraser (vcl); David Gray (tmb); Kath Jobes (vcl).
(Review by Lance).
From occasional sitter-in to  fully fledged house drummer (at least for tonight) MacKellar, or is it Mackellar?, proved a more than capable dep for the absent Russ Morgan. The young man easily slotted in with Gilligan and Grainger on the opening I Thought About You. Nor did the switch to 3/4 time for Hamp Hawes' Sonora phase him. His Early Bird training no doubt contributed as I'm sure did the inspiration derived from playing with the two PGs - a third one would soon arrive.
Oh Lady be Good is vintage Gilligan whilst I Fall in Love Too Easily suggests that romance is far from dead!
The room begins to fill and the first of the guests takes to the stand. Michael Lamb, taking time off from leading the SSBB, blows a fiery How High the Moon before tugging at the heartstrings on Angel Eyes.
Here endeth the first set.
Unsquare Dance, a different drummer, and the third PG assembles alto sax and moistens reed as Gilligan goes into Brubeckian mode.
This drummer knows the number catching the 7/4 meter and the transformation to swing and back seamlessly. I speak to him afterwards and he tells me he's actually a guitarist!
Young Matthew returns for a swinging Tangerine, a Birdlike Embraceable You and a Cherokee to end all Cherokees with all four turning the Ray Noble classic inside out.










Ray Noble stays on the menu for The Very Thought of You ably sung by Minnie Fraser. David Gray blows trombone in his inimitable manner. Minnie sings Lullaby of Birdland, Gray and Gowland remain on board.
More words, this time, it's Kath Jobes giving out with There Will Never be Another You and Bye Bye Blackbird. I too say 'bye bye'. The Central Station still being closed, I limp across town to catch the 27 at the High Level Bridge.
Guess what? They've only gone and closed the bridge for 'inspection and maintenance' from 10pm-6am and the buses have been diverted! So, rather than wait 7 hours, once again it's a phone call to Budget Taxis...
Photos.
Lance.
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