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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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sat 26: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington. 12 noon. Free (donations).
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

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, September 10, 2016

Film Review: The Geordie Jazzman

The late Keith Crombie was very much his own man - you loved him or you hated him. I loved him, as did 99% of the audience at a press showing of Abi Lewis' amazingly perspective take on a character who was, without argument, the most charismatic of any non-playing jazz person in the north east - ever! The applause that followed the credits, proof of how well Abi's film captured her subject.
Based on a series of interviews with Crombie - acquaintances refer to him as Keith but, to close friends and bitter enemies, he was 'Crombie' - we delve into the man and try to discover what made him tick.
Music meant so much to him whether it be jazz, early rock and roll or rhythm and blues.  The film captures all this and more. His encyclopaedic knowledge, helped by a collection of books that rivalled the average library, enabled him to hold his ground on just about any subject. I recall one Sunday afternoon, when things were quiet in The Caff, after discovering I lived in Hebburn, he produced a host of info on the history of shipbuilding on the Tyne before switching to Stan Laurel who, he told me, once appeared on stage in Jarrow!
Throughout the film, similar quirky moments are revealed - too many to mention here - suffice to say the audience laughed along.
Eric Burdon had his own memories of Pink Lane and there were clips of more recent gigs from the old days.
Don Forbes and Mark Robertson, as one-time resident musicians at The Caff, provided more insight.
However, words can only paint a small picture. When it's at a cinema near you, on DVD or online this is one film you mustn't miss - if you ever went to the Jazz Café who might even find yourself caught on camera.
After the deserved applause - we should have been standing - Abi Lewis, Eric Burdon and two others whose names, embarrassingly escape me took part in a short forum,
Down in the bar, Pete Gilligan, Paul Grainger, Gypsy Dave Smith, Lindsay Hannon and Don Forbes provided the music - there were others waiting in the wings - but the number 27 bus was already approaching the Tyne Bridge so I had to bid adieu to my best ever film premiere (it was also my first) but, even if I'd been to every one since Gone with the Wind this would still rate pretty high. More importantly, it was an emotional tribute to a Tyneside Icon.
He fought the law and the law won - or did it?
Photos.
Lance.

1 comment :

Unknown said...

It's wonderful that Keith Crombie should be remembered rather than disappear into oblivion. Throughout Newcastle's history characters such as Bobby Shaftoe, Bessie Surtees and John Marley have earned immortality. In modern times it's more difficult to achieve that level of celebrity; nowadays most of the city's local heroes have tended to be footballers. However, it's fair to say that Keith Crombie merits that status and I like to think that this film will be the beginning rather than the end. There are some like myself, I can think of Sheena Conroy and Dave Ismay, who, fifty years ago, considered ourselves to be among his good friends. Nevertheless, we were considerably younger and always called him Keith out of authentic respect and affection rather than the curt, Crombie. I'm sure there are many who have favourite memories and anecdotes; my own involves the time he saved me from a good kicking by using the starting handle from his jeep as a weapon of mass destruction. Keith had a good intellect and many fine qualities and I look forward to seeing the film.

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