Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Charlie Parker was my introduction to the religion of music. And so he's always with me .'' - Downbeat November 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

17972 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 936 of them this year alone and, so far, 45 this month (Nov. 14).

From This Moment On ...

November

Fri 14: Dan Johnson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 14: Giles Strong Quartet @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
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: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £32.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 14: Guisborough Big Band @ Saltburn Golf Club. 7:30pm. £12.00 (inc. pie & peas). SOLD OUT!

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:00-9:30pm.
Sat 15: Les Frères Frangipane @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors 7:30pm). £10.00. ‘Chanson Française’. Fundraiser for Jesmond Community Orchard & Jesmond Library.

Sun 16: Jo Harrop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Duo performance.
Sun 16: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. ‘Jazz Sunday’ with special guest PETE TANTON.
Sun 16: Lorne Lofsky-Nigel Price Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Lofsky (guitar); Price (guitar); Jeremy Brown (double bass); Joel Barford (drums).
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: Lorne Lofsky-Nigel Price Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Lofsky (guitar); Price (guitar); Jeremy Brown (double bass); Joel Barford (drums).

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 17: Finn-Keeble Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £6.50.

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, December 12, 2016

Identity Crisis


At last night's gig at the Prohibition Bar, a lady was enquiring about the late Charlie Lovell whose alto playing enlivened the scene in the pre-millennium years. I'm not sure, but Charlie may have been the alto player on this photo from the Wheatsheaf in New York (North Tyneside version). Can anyone verify and, if you know the lady, pass the info onto her. Others in the photo are; Eric Gamblin (guitar); Charlie Carmichael, Leo Harwood (tenors) and, on trombone and clarinet?...
Lance.

11 comments :

Unknown said...

Charlie Carmichael was greattttt

Lance said...

Couldn't agree more Dave. Apart from being a very good friend, the late Charlie could blow just about anybody off the stage in a 33 bar chorus. Tommy Moran could do it in 32 but, as Charlie used to say, "Who's counting? and when Charlie was in full flight a lot of sax/clarinet/flute players took to the hills!

Lance said...

I also recall Brian Fisher saying that Charlie was the only guy in the north east who could play bebop clarinet - it should have been inscribed on his gravestone.

Unknown said...

The clarinet player (if that's the correct description) is Monroe Sutherland, noted for not being a very good player. He had a "feud" with another famously poor clarinet player and regular at the Wheatsheaf, Russ Miller. Russ once asked Monroe if it was true that he was giving up playing. Monroe, nettled, said no, absolutely not! Russ, apparently much relieved, replied: "Thank God, otherwise I'd be the worst f***ing clarinet-player in the North East!"

Lance said...

Ah yes Monroe Sutherland! Mention of Russ Miller reminds me of when we were flying back from the Breda Jazz Festival. I was sitting next to Russ and, across the aisle was a German chap. Russ said to him, "We've been to the Breda Jazz Festival."
A Teutonic grunt.
"Heard some really good bands."
Another grunt.
"I suppose, being German you're more of a one for classical music - Beethoven and all that."
He gave Russ a steely glare that Heinrich Himmler would have been proud of.
"I do not like any music!"
Russ turned to me and said, "Friendly sort of chap!"
Russ had a baritone sax that had once belonged to George Melachrino, of Geraldo fame, which he actually sold to Charlie Carmichael who in turn sold it to a lad who worked next to me in J.G. Windows. He eventually sold it in Amsterdam. I wonder where it is now?


Jude Murphy (on F/b) said...

I'm fairly sure it's Charlie [Lovell], Lance. The haircut and especially that shoulder (it seemed to help him solo, though he must have had permanent neck ache!) are exactly how I remember him from the 80s.

Colin Aitchison said...

The picture is not The Wheatsheaf it is The Porthole, North Shields.
The trombone player is Lenny Sampson. Cannot identify the alto sax..

Liz said...

Blimey..George Melachrino, haven't heard that name for decades!Didn't he have his own band at one time?

Lance said...

The Melachrino Strings were regular broadcasters on the BBC back in the '50s.

Rachel Richman said...

It was myself who was enquiring about Charlie Lovell. And he definitely is not late. Alive and well and a splendid 91 years of age. I met him again today, and his lovely wife, Olive.

Lance said...

Good news indeed. Pass on my regards. He won't remember me by name but he might recall me as one of the guys who sold him reeds in Windows Music Shop way back when...

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