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

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.

Fri 21: Tom Remon & Tony Ormesher @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Guitar duo.
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm.
Fri 21: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 21: East Coast Swing Band @ 1856 Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 21: Martin Speake Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 22: Make Music Seminar: Latin American Music vs. Music of Latin America @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 1:00pm. Live performance feat. Jason Holcomb, Alix Shepherd, Carlos Luis Rivera.
Sat 22: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ Berwick Parish Church, Parade, Berwick. 2:00pm. £15.00. A Berwick Music Society concert promotion. Kliphuis (violin), Nigel Clark (guitar), Roy Percy (double bass).
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Bywater Call @ Anarchy Brew Co., Newcastle. 7:00pm. £27.50. Soul/blues.
Sat 22: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Westovian Theatre, South Shields. 7:30pm.

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, December 17, 2016

Ruth Lambert & Alan Law @ The Jazz Café. Dec 16

Ruth Lambert (vocals) & Alan Law (piano)
(Review by Russell)
From the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band’s gig in the Black Swan, a mad dash around the corner to the Jazz Café to catch Ruth Lambert’s second set. Almost a year to the day Lambert and Law played their first ever duo gig in the Caff, and here they were once again to present another GAS book master class. We arrived Round Midnight (22:20 GMT to be precise). The tag ‘world class’ should be used sparingly but, it can be said without fear of contradiction that, within fifty metres (the distance between the Black Swan and the Jazz Café) we heard Alice Grace then Ruth Lambert. What a treat!

Just Squeeze Me sang Lambert, perched atop a high stool at one end of the piano. The man at the keys – Mr Alan Law – plays a mean, saloon bar bluesy piano. Singer Ruth, pianist Alan, they should do more, the betting is they will. On a Clear Day sang Ruth, World on a String, Winter Wonderland, we, the audience, were in heaven, so much so, none of us could hardly speak. Heaven, a jazz singer’s heaven. Mr BC, a fully paid up member of the Lambert fan club, said of the occasion: It’s the only reason I’m here.
Ms Lambert played a request…Santa Baby. Perfect. And to finish, White Christmas. A fabulous half hour or so. World class? You bet.

Russell.        

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