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Bebop Spoken There

George Colligan: ''I think to be a successful musician, you must be versatile to make a living — until you find your niche''. (DownBeat, July 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

17,596 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 560 of them this year alone and, so far, 38 this month (July 13).

From This Moment On ...

JULY 2025

Thu 17: Brass Bash @ Trimdon Community College, Co. Durham. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Thu 17: Brass Bash @ Blackhill & Consett Park, Co. Durham. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Thu 17: NONUNONU @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £11:55 (inc bf).

Fri 18: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Brass Bash @ Town Park, Newton Aycliffe, Co. Durham. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Fri 18: Brass Bash @ North Terrace, Seaham, Co. Durham. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Fri 18: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 18: Knats: Masterclass & jam session @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 18: Rat Pack - Live in Concert @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 18: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00.
Fri 18: Front Porch Three @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. A Hoodoo Blues dance class & social. Social & Front Porch Three only from 8:30pm. £5.00.

Sat 19: Streets of Brass @ Durham City. From 10:00am. Free. Various street bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sat 19: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners: BRASS Boat Cruise @ Elvet Bridge jetty (by the boat club & Tomahawk Steak), Durham City. 12 noon. £12.00.; £10.00.; £5.00. 60 mins cruise, 2 x sets. SOLD OUT! A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sat 19: Bollywood Brass Band @ Monument Metro Station & Haymarket Metro Station, Newcastle. 2:00pm & 3:00pm & 4:00pm (3 x 30 mins). Free. A Gem Arts Masala Festival event.
Sat 19: Diddy Sweg: BRASS Boat Cruise @ Elvet Bridge jetty (by the boat club & Tomahawk Steak), Durham City. 2:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00.; £5.00. 60 mins cruise, 2 x sets. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sat 19: Brazen Brass Band: BRASS Boat Cruise @ Elvet Bridge jetty (by the boat club & Tomahawk Steak), Durham City. 12 noon. £12.00.; £10.00.; £5.00. 60 mins cruise, 2 x sets. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sat 19: Party in the Park @ Wharton Park, Durham. 5:00-9:00pm. Free. Ten street brass bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sat 19: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 19: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Chopwell Community Centre. 8:00pm.

Sun 20: Streets of Brass @ Durham City. From 11:00am. Free. Various street bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sun 20: Always Drinking Marching Band: BRASS Boat Cruise @ Elvet Bridge jetty (by the boat club & Tomahawk Steak), Durham City. 11:00am. £12.00.; £10.00.; £5.00. 60 mins cruise, 2 x sets. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sun 20: New York Brass Band: BRASS Boat Cruise @ Elvet Bridge jetty (by the boat club & Tomahawk Steak), Durham City. 1:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00.; £5.00. 60 mins cruise, 2 x sets. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sun 20: Das Brass: BRASS Boat Cruise @ Elvet Bridge jetty (by the boat club & Tomahawk Steak), Durham City. 3:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00.; £5.00. 60 mins cruise, 2 x sets. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Pope/Garner/Byrne/Alderson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 21: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 21: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 21: New Century Syncopated Seven @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 22: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 23: Isobel Pearce Quartet @ Dept. of Music, Palace Green, Durham University. 8:15pm. £10.00. & £7.00. First night of two. A Durham Fringe Festival event.

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

Monday, August 01, 2016

Musicians Unlimited @ The Park Inn. July 31

(Review by Russell)
Musicians Unlimited’s weekly gig at the Park Inn is an institution. For several years the session at the Studio on Tower Street drew large crowds and the move along the road to the Park Inn didn’t deter the band’s faithful followers. The band’s winning formula is a simple one: a welcoming venue, the musicians on the stand are some of the best around and the pad comprises much-loved numbers.
The train journey from Newcastle to Hartlepool on this sunny Sunday morning afforded  panoramic views out to sea; Tees-bound tankers lying offshore, the dark Cleveland Hills against a blue sky backdrop. The Park Inn’s split level layout sees the band set up on the upper tier, the audience seated and standing on the lower level. A choice of three or four real ales, the pick being Doom Bar, for no other reason than if it (the beer) had made the effort all the way from Rock, Cornwall, it should be sampled.
Queen Bee (arr. Sammy Nestico) opened the set with John Hudson (tenor) taking the first solo of the afternoon. MD Mick Donnelly likes to keep things moving with his one-liners buying the band a precious few seconds as they leaf through the pad looking for no. three hundred and something. I’ve Got You Under My Skin sang the fundraising Peter, the first of the day’s fearless vocalists. You know the tune – hear Jill Nelson’s baritone and a Milt Bernhart – sorry, Dave Brock, trombone blast. Excellent stuff all round! Ray Dales (alto) and Bill Watson (trumpet) had a blow on Killer Joe followed by the second of our singers keen to show what they could do. Linda sang Almost Like Being in Love. Linda appeared to believe she didn’t do so well – not a bit of it, Linda did more than alright!

That’s Life! So sang Tommy. What a performer! Singing to the back of the hall, our man projected to the cheap seats in this sold-out Carnegie Hall concert. Tommy! Tommy! It’s the Park Inn, not NYC. Let’s not spoil the illusion/delusion, this was great entertainment! The fundraising Dave, steady as you like, sang Fly Me to the Moon with Sue Ferris’ flute accompaniment as good as we’ve come to expect. Jill Nelson’s spot-on baritone matched Phil’s vocals on Witchcraft. The fabulous fundraising vocalists were troupers all.

Musicians Unlimited’s regular vocalist Mr Bob Caswell – a favourite of BSH’s big band aficionado Tony Eales – sang several numbers including Nice and Easy and I’ve Got the World on a String. Hearing Mr Caswell’s nonchalant, swinging style, it’s easy to see why Eales rates him so highly. The band went out on Sweet Georgia Brown. Next week’s one o’clock start is the last one until September. Musicians Unlimited can be heard a week on Thursday at Jackson’s Landing. This is a major fundraising gig, it’s free admission, but a donation on the night would be appreciated. Things get under way at 6:30pm with several events planned and with Musicians Unlimited on the bill, it’s sure to be a great night out!                    
Russell.           
Mick Donnelly (MD); trumpets: Alan Catherall, Bob Temple, Kevin Eland, Bill Watson; trombones: John Day, Dave Brock, Helen Grainger, Peter Morgan; reeds: John Hudson (tenor), Sue Ferris (tenor & flute), Ray Dales (alto), Danny Allan (alto), Jill Nelson (baritone); Bryn Jones (piano), Mick Shoulder (double bass) & Ernie Jackson (drums) + Bob Caswell (vocals) + the fabulous fundraising vocalists: Linda, Dave, Peter, Phil & Tommy.

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