Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 2026)

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

18680 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 544 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 3) 8

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

From This Moment On

July

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Kevin Eland (trumpet).
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 07: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Sax on the Tyne @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £8.00. Feat. Sax on the Tyne & St George’s Community Choir.
Wed 08: Abbie Finn Trio @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 09: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 09: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 09: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 10: Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Olly Styles & Jacob Egglestone @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 10: Archipelago @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:00pm . New album fundraiser gig.
Fri 10: King Bees @ Rebel Yell, Nelson St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues.

Sat 11: Spanish City Rollers @ Community Stage: Mouth of the Tyne Festival, Front Street, Tynemouth. 12 noon. Free.
Sat 11: Jazz Stage: Mouth of the Tyne Festival (o/s Tynemouth Priory), Tynemouth. Free. Vieux Carré Hot 4 (12 noon); Rendezvous Jazz (1:00pm); Castillo Nuevo Trio (2:00pm); Classic Swing (3:00pm); Abbie Finn Trio (4:00pm). Day 1/2.
Sat 11: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man + Adam Millington @ St John’s Chapel, Town Hall, Weardale DL13 1QF. 5:00pm (doors). £16.26., £10.84., £8.67., £5.42 (under 18).
Sat 11: Milne Glendinning Band @ Langley Tracks, Langley-on-Tyne. 5:30pm.
Sat 11: Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:30pm.
Sat 11: Karberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 7:00pm. £7.00.
Sat 11: Ray Quinn: The King of Swing @ The Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Millstone - May 25

(Review by Russell)
On entering a sweltering Millstone Michael Lamb indicated that the pub’s upstairs room offered a cool refuge from the heat of the day, hastily adding: Only joking! Sure enough the first floor room  resembled a boiler house. MD Lamb’s troops arrived in ones and twos for the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band’s monthly public rehearsal night. Several members of the band arrived in shorts. Where did they think they were? The Costa del Plonk?
Strike Up the Band, Sister Sadie, Basically Blues – a typically eclectic selection from the SSBB. A noticeably absent Alice Grace (presently, the woman has more important things to attend to!) gave some present a first opportunity to hear Jennifer Davies. Orange Colored Sky (more like cloudless blue!) and Too Darn Hot (darn right!) revealed Ms Davies to be a fine singer (a more than capable dep for AG), reading the charts as in standard rehearsal mode.
Michael Lamb lead from the front – intro and solo – on Autumn in New York. We should hear more of ML in a small group setting! The SSBB likes to play Jacob Mann charts. Pronk has become a gig staple and at this rehearsal night we heard Bounce House. It’s well worth checking out J Mann, the composer and big band leader.
More from Jennifer Davies: Alright, Okay, You Win and It Was a Very Good Year. No sign of F’reez tonight, so, Davies had the mic to herself and no one was complaining. Familiar faces were given a chance to shine; on this occasion David Barnes, trombone, Jamie Toms on tenor, Keith Robinson, alto, and, across the room, Graham Don, keyboards, and the ever-impressive Pav Jedrzejewski on guitar. Others featured, they often do, they know who they are! The Strictly Smokin’ rock up at Soul Central (aka Hoochie Coochie) on Sunday 18 June. On stage at 5:30pm, with Alice Grace and our man F’reez, plus a bonus set from Scarlett Street. £8.00., best to book in advance: 0191 222 0130.
Russell                     
Michael Lamb MD, Stephen Wilkinson, Gordon Marshall, Bob Temple (trumpets); David Barnes, Kieran Parnaby, Chris Gurji-Smith, John Flood  (trombones); Jamie Toms (tenor), Paul Gowland (tenor), Steve Summers (alto, soprano & flute), Keith Robinson (alto), Laurie Rangecroft (baritone); Graham Don (keyboards), Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar), Michael Whent (bass), Guy Swinton (drums) & Jennifer Davies (vocals)

2 comments :

Michael Lamb said...

Thanks for the review Russell... just a minor correction that Scarlet Street won't be gracing us with their presence at Hoochie on June 18th '17. However, correct that Alice and F'reez will be there and doing their thing! Tickets available at www.strictly-smokin.co.uk ��

Russell said...

I knew I should have relied on the SSBB website. Warren needs to update his website!

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