Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Thu 13: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 13: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! Back on Aug. 27.
Thu 13: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

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: John Settle Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. John Settle (vibes); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 14: Bold Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00 + bf.

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Michael Woods @ The Lit & Phil. September 23

Michael Woods (guitar & vocals)
(Review by Russell)
Newcastle based Michael Woods opened and closed his Lit & Phil lunchtime set of fifty minutes playing his six string Taylor acoustic. The regional folklore of Salter’s Bridge to begin, a string of American country blues to follow; Ain’t No Tellin’, Deep Ellum and an excellent take on Blind Blake’s Excuse Me, Mr Phelps? Mississippi Blues (Willie Brown) a final tune, for now, on the Taylor.
Resonator time! Picking up his custom made pride and joy, Woods jumped aboard a fast travellin’ freight train in the company of Leadbelly, Robert Johnson and Blind Boy Fuller by way of Ry Cooder, Keith Richards and Sam Mitchell, singing and playing a bottleneck blues compendium of classic tunes. The softly spoken Woods made the case for ‘a sort of County Durham blues’ courtesy of Tommy Armstrong, circa 1892. Austerity times, 1892, fast forward to 2016, plus ça change? Woods observed that the Rolling Stones’ early, and for some, best material, was all in open G tuning. So, we got Love in Vain, not quite a Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! ‘Keef’ and Mick (Taylor) showcase, more like a Michael Woods’ down home Lit and Phil take in the lee of Central Station…When the train left the station…the blue light was my blues…
To close, Martin in hand, the left handed Woods returned to his East Coast Fret album to play an original composition – Blink of an Eye; Tyneside’s heavy engineering skills once more on the world stage designing, constructing and securing the Gateshead Millennium Bridge across the Tyne. Check out Michael Woods at: www.michaelwoodsmusic.com.
Russell.

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