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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 16: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

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 13, 2016

The Hughie Aitchison Story on Record. Tracks 2-7 + memories of Ray Jobling and Jimmy Miller

Stan Wilde (pno); Hughie Aitchison (tpt); Ronnie McLean (tmb); Brian Clark/ Alan Shipley (clt); Alan Brown (gtr); Joe Ward (dms).
A year to the day after the previous tracks on June 25, 1951, Stan's Wildecats were recorded at Northern Sound Studios - was that the one at the bottom of Worswick St,? Probably was as there weren't too many recording studios around in those days.
Washington & Lee Swing and Lonesome Road.. Brian Clark and Alan Shipley on clarinets. I didn't know Alan Shipley but Brian was one of those gentle gentlemen of music and the northeast jazz scene was horrified when he was mugged on his way home from a gig in, I think, the 1970's.
Were the muggers ever caught? I can't remember - I hope so.
The Bernicia Jazz Band went into the same studios on March 25, 1952.
Hughie Aitchison (tpt); Ronnie Allen (McLean under a pseudonym? tmb); Brian Clark (clt); Arthur Robson (pno); Alan Brown (gtr); Ray Jobling (bs); Ken Redman (dms).
This was a stormer - the Spanier Ragtimers ride again! Hughie, by this time, was Muggsy and Muskrat Ramble, Apex Blues, Bluin' the Blues and Trouble in Mind had never sounded so good on this side of the Atlantic - or at least on this side of the Tyne!
Trouble in Mind had a vocal by Ray Jobling - Jobber! I had the privilege to work with Ray many years later. He was a fine southpaw bass player, a founder member of the Panama Jazzmen and no mug with a shotgun either!
Ray fell in love with Elsie whose ex was a local gangland figure. The hoodlum proceeded to make the couple's life hell until Ray said, 'Enough is a enough" and fired both barrels - it didn't just happen in Chicago! However, it was, eventually, all done and dusted, Ray served his time  and returned to the scene playing with a variety of bands including the Jimmy Miller Trio at the Blaydon Races pub out in Ryton. You think we've got piano players now? Check out Jimmy Miller if you can. He died before facebook and youtube were invented so maybe he's left no recorded legacy. However, I'm sure that someone's got a tape in the attic. Ray. Jimmy, (was it Jacky Denton on drums?) and Dave Hedley singing Tangerine are one of the memories that will live with me forever (not to mention the Chicken in the Basket! - Good job I didn't order the soup!)
Lance

1 comment :

Steve Andrews said...

Doesn't Hughie sound like King Oliver in his muted solo on Lonesome Road? Compare with Oliver's muted solo on "Sweet Like This" (1930).

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