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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sat 21: Jason Holcomb Jazz Ensemble @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 5:30-7:30pm. Free. A 'Sunderland Year of Music' event.
Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

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

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Mike and Ruthy Band - Summertyne Americana Festival 2016 @ Sage Gateshead: July 22

(Review by Ann Alex)
After Windborne, it was up to the Summertyne Lounge aka the Northern Rock Foundation Hall, for the Mike And Ruthy Band, but the only details I caught were:
Ruthy (vocals, fiddle, banjo, ukelele banjo, guitar); Mike (vocals, guitar, banjo); Rob (pedal steel guitar); Jacob (bass guitar); Conrad (drums).  Also on some songs 3 Scottish musicians on trumpet, tenor sax, trombone, names not given.
Entirely a matter of taste, this was a really good band, superb musicians doing original songs besides those of Woody Guthrie and Richard Thompson, folkie in a rocky sort of style, and very much appreciated by the full to capacity audience, but I preferred the quieter approach of Windborne.
The Band’s chat was interesting, such as the tale of how they were invited to perform at a house-concert, which turned out to be in a squat where wooden furniture was being burned to keep people warm. And the tale of the song Ruthy wrote about her second pregnancy, saying how she was excused from doing anything she didn’t want to do, entitled Simple And Sober.  Other songs included New York City Is The Town Where I Found You; The Farmer; Legends Only Appear In Black And White; Vincent 1952 (?)(Richard Thompson); Goldeneye.   The concert was neatly rounded off with On The Way Home, with the brass section joining in.
The earlier support act was good listening, Gill Landry (guitar, mouthorgan) and Matt Parke (pedal steel guitar) doing sad love songs and songs of Americans who felt disaffected by their lives. I especially liked what the Sage technicians were doing with the lights, pretty disco effects for some of the songs, and a screen with the USA stars and stripes on the stage.
I see that Imelda May performs at the festival tomorrow, that should be good.  Just a thought: Is she related to Theresa May, and should she be appointed as the next PM? And I wonder if Theresa May can sing? Yes, I’m completely sober whilst making these reflections, you wouldn’t want to know what I think about while I’m drunk, unless it’s to imagine Russell dressed as a cowboy!
Ann Alex

1 comment :

Russell said...

Sober? I'll be the judge of that!

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