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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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, January 02, 2017

A Look at 2016

(Lance/photo of  NYE Park Avenue NYC courtesy of Daryl Sherman)
The Gateshead International Jazz Festival, as always, stands supreme. This year, Simon Spillett's Tubby Hayes presentation was everything we could expect from two giants - past and present.
Alex Webb's  Café Society Swing was another that kept us well on the inside. Vimala Rowe an exciting new voice on the scene.
I didn't make the Ushaw College gigs, the Classic Jazz Party at Whitley Bay, or the Sunderland Big Band Festival but those of my agents on the ground who did make it, gave them the thumbs up - in fact - they only wished they'd had more thumbs!
As always, the Jazz Coop promoted jazz and jazz - related music at both a local, national, and international level. They also coordinate with the Empty Shop in Durham which is packing them in on a monthly basis.
Jazz North East did likewise - and I had to miss the icing, Greg Abate!
The Jazz Café had many great gigs both upstairs and downstairs but, the fortnightly, downstairs, jam is now in every aspiring jazzer's diary along with those who've long past the aspiring stage.
Hoochie Coochie is perhaps the unsung hero. Warren books mainly soul/funk bands but, if he thinks they stand a chance, he'll have a jazz act in there.
The Cherry Tree in Jesmond has been a supporter of jazz since Peter Wardle took over a few years back. Gigs for the guys but not always the support such a venture deserves - despite the food being of equal quality to the music!
Roly Veitch keeps Blaydon Jazz Club above water at the Black Bull with a monthly varied program.
The big bands may be dead but they refuse to lie down. Musicians Unlimited, Strictly Smokin' Big Band, Customs House Big Band, Durham University Big Band, New Century Ragtime Orchestra and a few others still carry the flame. Jason Isaacs fronts a great big band and Paul Skerritt fronts a great small band - as do Alice Grace, Ruth Lambert, Lindsay Hannon, Zoe Gilby, Debra Milne and a few others.
One of the most significant figures of 2016 was Paul Edis. Organiser, composer, arranger, performer, educator and promoter of well-supported gigs at St. Cuthbert's Centre, Crook; Gala Theatre, Durham; Newcastle's Lit & Phil and the aforementioned Ushaw College to name but a few - and a fine fellow too!
The trad bands still survive and, often with younger members replacing those that stopped ramblin'.
So, by and large, the north-east is relatively healthy, Down the road a piece, Plenty going on on Teeside and, over in Cumbria, there's also things happening there too. So, I guess this hasn't been a bad year for jazz - at least we haven't had a Jexit!
Lance
PS: Daryl [Sherman] sent the pic to me as I was typing and I thought, Let's use it - I love her!
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