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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, 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

17957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 278 of them this year alone and, so far, 34 this month (April 14).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 21: Newcastle Record Fair @ Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. 10:00am. Going in search of the Buddy Bolden cylinder…
Mon 21: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

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

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Lickety Split @ Blaydon Jazz Club - April 16

Eddie Bellis (trombone), Alan Marshall (alto saxophone), Paul Gowland (tenor saxophone), Kevin Eland (trumpet & flugelhorn), Bradley Johnston (guitar), Jeremy McMurray (piano), Alan Rudd (bass) & Paul Wight (drums)
(Review by Russell/Photos courtesy of Roly).
Band leader Eddie Bellis announced a celebration – Lickety Split’s tenth birthday! A few changes of personnel down the years is almost inevitable when trying to keep an eight piece band on the road. The current line-up looks as if it could remain stable for some time. That’s good news with the octet sounding better than ever.
 This Black Bull gig, the band’s debut at Blaydon Jazz Club, delivered immaculate ensemble playing with particularly impressive (well rehearsed!) endings. Nothing ragged, just sharp, tight topping and tailing of tunes. Lickety Split is a band that doesn’t shout from the roof tops. No hype, little publicity, simply a ‘turn-up-and-play’ approach, that’s Lickety Split. Blaydon Jazz Club’s Easter Day audience heard two sets of West Coast cool to bop charts – exactly what Blaydon’s Dr Jazz ordered.
Lickety Split’s frontline horns stood on the floor in front of the stage, a stage easily accommodating a purring rhythm section comprising Bradley Johnston in Freddie Greene mode, erstwhile Blaydon house pianist Jeremy McMurray, the seated bass anchor Alan Rudd, and the amiable Paul Wight, drums. Eddie Bellis, a fine, but underrated trombonist, isn’t big on announcements, preferring to let the music do the talking. The numbers given an airing included Birth of the Cool era Miles Davis, a well-tempered All Blues, Monk’s Well, You Needn’t and, perhaps, the band’s signature tune, Oliver Nelson’s Stolen Moments. Throughout the evening two of the band’s big hitters – Paul Gowland on tenor, and Kevin Eland playing trumpet and flugelhorn – showed admirable restraint, subservient to the ensemble sound.

Lickety Split’s next gig is at the Fox Inn, Hexham on Tuesday 25 April. Nine o’clock start, free, but donations appreciated. One week later the band will be at the Elephant public house on Newbiggin Road in Ashington to play a gig at the recently revived Ashington Jazz Club. Eight o’clock start, an absolute bargain £5.00. at the door, and an early finish (10:00pm) designed to allow gig goers the opportunity to catch buses to Morpeth, Newcastle and further afield.

Blaydon Jazz Club’s concert in May sees the return of Alter Ego. A bop, occasionally hard bop gig, with a cracking line-up, put the date in the diary – Sunday 21 May. Eight o’clock start, arrive early, seats could be at a premium.
Photos.
Russell            

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