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

Thu 08: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones of 1976.

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.

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, July 06, 2016

Jazz Café Jam Session - July 5.

Peter Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Russ Morgan (dms) + Ray Johnson (tpt); Paul Gowland (sop); Abbie Finn (dms); Beth Roberts (alt); Ian Forbes (dms); Minnie Fraser (vcl); Kath Jobes (vcl).
(Review by Lance).
One of the things I love about jam sessions is the variety of performers who grace the hypothetical stage. The young, the old, the in-between. The high fliers and the aspirants, all have their moment of glory aided and abetted by a sympathetic rhythm section.
That rhythm section got things rolling with stellar performances of Close Your Eyes, Whisper Not and If You Could See me Now. All three at the top of their game with Morgan outstanding on Whisper Not.
Paul Gowland, who opted for soprano this week, was joined by Ray Johnson for a couple of numbers one of which, Wayne Shorter's Lester Left Town, also had last week's debutante drummer, Abbie Finn, coming back for more. Outstanding! Yesterdays rounded off the set.
Gowland, needless to say, took no prisoners but Johnson met fire with fire blowing some blistering Fats Navarro style trumpet spurred on by Ms. Finn, Gilligan and Grainger.
A short break then another deb - 16-year-old Beth Roberts - fresh from playing with the Durham County Youth Big Band (in support of NYJO) the previous evening blew a spirited Autumn Leaves followed by Now's the Time. Another star in the making!
One star who's already made is Ian Forbes, the Grand Old Man of north-east jazz! Nothing old about his playing Ian always sounds as fresh as ever.
I'm currently into black and white photography but when Minnie took to the stage in her technicolour dream coat monochrome went out of the window! That Old Devil Moon and Body and Soul were given equally colourful treatment.
Back to the band for Have You Met Mr Forbes? as the Rogers and Hart tune could have been retitled and then Moanin'.
Time to drag myself away in the direction of the distant bus stop and, as such, missing a couple of songs from Kath Jobes. Ah well, maybe next time.
Photos.
Lance.

1 comment :

Klaas said...

Strolling through the center of the Neuchatel of the northeast stumbled on this delicious jam session. Thank you all for a great surprise

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