Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

18957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 821 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 30.) 100.

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

From This Moment On

October.

Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 07: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. Second night of two.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 08: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 08: Indigo Jazz Voices w. Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
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: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Feat. guest Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet).
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Harry Christelis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Jazz Co-op-JNE co-promotion.

Mon 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 12: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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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