Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 12 noon. £29.00 (inc. bf). ‘Festive Lunch’. VCJ on stage 12 noon (three sets 'til 4:00pm).
Wed 17: Lazy River Band @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Veronica Perrin, Chris Perrin, John Farragher, Phil Rutherford
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Wed 17: A Jazzy Xmas @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Kyran Matthews (tenor sax, soprano sax); Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ YOLO, Ponteland. 7:00pm. ‘Swing & Jazz Night’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 18: Joe Steels & Friends @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:30pm. Free (donations).

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! .
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

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, November 23, 2016

A Weekend of Global Warming Ahead

The Globe's the place to be this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, the Josh Kemp Quartet, is described by The Jazz Coop's wordsman thus...
Critically acclaimed saxophonist Josh Kemp brings his new Hammond Organ based ensemble to The Globe as part of his 2016 tour to promote his new album 'Rare Groove'. The album delivers high-energy jazz with an enjoyable and relaxed groove, taking inspiration from the classic era of Blue-Note jazz, combined with contemporary inflections of rhythm and harmony, all delivered with style and quality from a band of top-class musicians.
Sounding equally impressive playing within the jazz standards tradition and also presenting his own original compositions, saxophonist and composer Josh Kemp has completed major UK tours in 2014 and in 2015, gaining many plaudits along the way for his fluid improvising style and attractive compositions.
Josh Kemp - Tenor Sax; Ross Stanley - Hammond Organ;  Martin Shaw - Trumpet
Tim Giles - Drums
What the papers say‘A mix of Stan Getzian breeziness and Coltrane’s imploring cry.’ The Guardian
‘Wonderfully rich toned with a nuanced and original sound' Time Out
‘A polished and assured mix of contemporary and post-bop styles’ JAZZ UK
Tickets £12 available online or on the door.
Sounds good? and this, but the filling in the weekend sandwich!

The Friday night gig is: 
An evening of collaborative improvisations
Koan 4 brings three intriguing collaborations where the musicians have challenged themselves to work in an improvised format. Every partnership features musicians who combine sensitivity with bold leaps of imagination. This will be a remarkable night of the instant creation of new music.
Shelly Knotts and Mark Carroll
Mariam Rezaei/James Wyness/ Christian Alderson
Adam Denton/trubba not/Nigel of Coalburns
Admission £5 (£4 concessions).

And on Sunday - The House of the Black Gardenia.
Born of the desire to get their city's dancefloors swinging to the lesser-known roots music of the 1920s and '30s, House of the Black Gardenia brings together the new generation of Newcastle's jazz and swing scene for a raucous revival of old-fashioned good times. Expect stride piano, ragtime banjo, Sousa bumps, blistering New Orleans-style horns and infectious swing rhythms more potent than a bathtub full of gin.
Neil Hopper (double bass/sousaphone), Bobbi Charleston (washboard/vocals), Ben Imrye (piano/vocals), Kit Haigh (drums), Michael Lamb (trumpet), David Gray (trombone), Jack Foster (banjo/guitar).
Ignore what you may have read elsewhere - this will be a hoot reminding us that jazz is entertainment, danceable and doesn't have to be listened to with a furrowed brow.
£7. All gigs probably start circa 8pm.
Lance.


1 comment :

Bobbi Charleston (on F/b) said...

Thanks for fighting our corner Lance!

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