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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sat 21: Jason Holcomb Jazz Ensemble @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 5:30-7:30pm. Free. A 'Sunderland Year of Music' event.
Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

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

Sunday, January 01, 2017

Preview: Southport Jazz Festival @ Royal Clifton Hotel - February 2 - 5, 2017.

(Preview by Steve T).
This is an annual event in Count [Tony] Eales calendar, which should be recommendation enough in itself. I've almost made it a few times and even had tickets for Jean Toussaint doing Trane a couple of years back, but something came up. No chance of missing this one; there's plenty for everyone and some specific stuff of real interest to me.
The Weave start things off on Thursday evening; a Liverpool sextet - two trumpets, guitar, and rhythm section.
The Jam Experiment (sax, trombone, guitar and rhythm) kick off Friday, followed by the Swingtime Big Band with Emma Holcroft and Clare Teal, which, unsurprisingly has sold out, but the day ends with another big attraction in the shape of Trichotomy, Australia’s own forward-thinking, experimental piano trio who've achieved wide acclaim.
The sax, organ, drums trio of Seamus Blake starts things off on Saturday morning, featuring the omnipresent (and brilliant) Ross Stanley and James Maddren respectively.
This is followed by a highly intriguing proposition: Jeremy Price (bone), Andy Panayi (sax) and Jez Franks (guitar). 
The Train and the River is most famous for featuring on the film of the Newport Jazz Festival of 58. In the liner notes to an album by original artists Brookmeyer, Giuffre and Hall, Roy Carr observes it should have been a recipe for disaster but wasn't, and I'm really excited to hear what these three Birmingham Conservatoire heavyweights will bring to it.    
There's another major British Jazz vocalist in Liane Carroll, for anyone unlucky enough to have missed tickets for the Swingtime Big Band, followed by a standard sax quartet, a recipe for superlatives, and a late bash with another quartet, this time fronted by trumpet and guitar, which sounds equally mouth-watering.
Sunday starts with singer Ben Cox and his band, including rising bass star Flo Moore. This is followed by more from Birmingham Conservatoire and this time their Ellington Orchestra, with special interest to me as a massive Duke fan and because number one son has depped at a rehearsal.
Alan Barnes is guaranteed to be a highlight of any festival and here he's again joined by his sublime all-star octet who lit up the whole of the North East from Ushaw College at Christmas.
Closing the festival is the Dixon, Walker, Chisnall Quintet (sax, guitar, piano)  and, while it's perhaps unfair to single out one, I have a bit of an interest in the guitar and consider Mike Walker one of the greatest guitarists anywhere right now, with an influence on every emerging UK Jazz guitarist, whether they realise it or not.
With apologies for the length of this preview, I feel it's justified by the inordinate quality of the line-up, which any Jazz Festival in any major city would be justifiably proud of.
Tickets for weekend, day or individual sessions are available from: 
www.southportjazzfestival.com or by phoning 07759 994800.
Steve T.

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