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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

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00. CANCELLED!

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: David Gray's Flextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’.
Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

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.

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

Friday, February 10, 2017

BABMUS @ The Jazz Café. February 9

Tom Bearpark Quartet: Tom Bearpark (keyboards), Thomas Dixon (alto & tenor saxophones), Stephen Wall (bass) & Adam Watson (drums) + guests
(Review by Russell)
BABMUS is a new partnership between Sage Gateshead’s thriving music education set-up and Newcastle’s Jazz Café. BA and BMus degree courses are delivered at Gateshead (hence BABMUS) and Newcastle’s Pink Lane jazz venue has kindly agreed to provide a regular gigging opportunity to the student musician. The Jazz, Popular and Commercial Music degree course has produced a significant number of success stories with alumnus making their mark in an ultra-competitive music world.

The opportunity to perform in a ‘live’ setting, in front of a paying audience is considered key to the development of the aspiring musician. Pianist Tom Bearpark is the young man in this Tyneside vanguard and who knows, one day Tom and his student friends could be performing at the Village Vanguard, NYC. Course tutors kept out of the way, the gig is a student-run gig. Bearpark imposed a three line whip thus ensuring fellow students turned out in force, making for a supportive environment and bar sales turned over (this is a jazz gig imperative), no doubt making the Jazz Café’s manager a happy bunny on the night!

Tom Bearpark leads the band, Thomas Dixon fronts the band. Bearpark cuts a shy figure, Dixon likewise, but someone has to do the talking so it fell to the amiable Dixon, playing alto and tenor on this gig, to say ‘hello’ and introduce the tunes. The quartet played many familiar numbers and, growing in confidence, launched into a freer piece culminating in a coruscating tenor workout…the sound of things to come! Several students sat in – female vocalists to the fore – and the Bearpark Quartet with the excellent Stephen Wall, bass and drummer Adam Watson completing the line-up went out on a high with Wonderful World (it was wonderful, featuring Wall’s into) and, right up Bearpark’s street, a rousing take on Horace Silver’s Song for my Father.

BABMUS has made an encouraging start with audience numbers exceeding expectations.  The session isn’t a free admission gig – it’s a real world, commercial proposition. Give it a try, show your support, a BABMUS gig is well worth catching.               

Russell.

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