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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 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

17957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 278 of them this year alone and, so far, 34 this month (April 14).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 21: Newcastle Record Fair @ Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. 10:00am. Going in search of the Buddy Bolden cylinder…
Mon 21: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.

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. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club 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

Wednesday, August 03, 2016

Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Crescent Club Cullercoats - August 3

(Review by Russell/photo of Teresa from BSH archives)
Wednesday at the Crescent Club, your regular date with the Vieux Carré Jazzmen. An indisposed Paul Gowland called for a suitable dep and old hand Derek Fleck answered the call to share frontline duties with the redoubtable Lawrence McBriarty. The rhythm section rarely changes (no changes on this gig) so we heard bandleader Brian Bennett, Bill Colledge and Fred Thompson. Good weather at Cullercoats, good time jazz in the Crescent Club, your regular midweek date with the VCJ.
First things first; Brian Bennett began the session by praising Paul Gowland’s culinary skills…a home-made chicken curry Mr G’s signature dish, apparently. My Gal Sal got things underway musically speaking, Mandy, Make Up Your Mind followed and a Big Butter and Egg Man heard Fred Thompson singing. MC Bennett invited Miles Watson onto the stand to have a blow and sing a couple of numbers. Watson suggested he was Undecided. The Cullercoats Songstress Teresa Armstrong made up her mind, choosing Pennies from Heaven as her opening number. A false start and a sore throat could have put-off lesser performers, not Armstrong! She’ll be back next week fighting fit.
One-liners make a gig. As Armstrong vacated the stage, the Cullercoats Songstress was heard joking: This band makes me nervous! The interval raffle prizes went elsewhere. A Fats Waller number to restart, then drummer Thompson sang Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gave to Me. Not to be outdone, trumpeter Watson hit the heights on Carolina Moon with a cameo of a solo from bar stool bassist Bill Colledge. Friends in jazz Messrs Thompson and Watson were in perfect vocal harmony on Bourbon Street Parade. Derek Fleck has a ‘been-there-done-that’ look about him and this gig with the Vieux Carré Jazzmen held no fears. An accomplished player, be it clarinet or alto sax, Fleck breezed through it all. To end another Wednesday at the Crescent Club the band played Honeysuckle Rose (Watson vocals), Hindustan (the dulcet Thompson) and, all together now, Bye Bye Blackbird.            
Russell.
Derek Fleck (clarinet & alto saxophone), Lawrence McBriarty (trombone), Brian Bennett (banjo), Bill Colledge (bass) & Fred Thompson (drums & vocals) + Miles Watson (trumpet & vocals) + Teresa Armstrong (vocals)

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