Bebop Spoken There

Ethan Hawke (starring as Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon): ''Larry [Lorenz] Hart would be so happy that his music and his words and his poetry are still alive.'' - The Northern Echo 27 November 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

18000 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 964 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 24).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Fri 05: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05: Jazzy Xmas @ Redhills, Durham. 7:30-10:00pm. £10.00., £9.00., £8.00. Miners’ Hall, Flass St., Durham. Feat. Durham University Big Band & Durham University Jazz Orchestra.
Fri 05: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 05: Alligator Gumbo @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £16.96. Saltburn Jazz Xmas Party.

Sat 06: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 06: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Minor Swing. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 06: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 06: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76 (inc. bf).
Sat 06: Kaberry Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. (inc. hot buffet). ‘Christmas 1945’. Kaberry Big Band, formerly Vermont Big Band.
Sat 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ Platform 1, Bedlington. 7:30pm. £6.00. Rhythm & blues.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. Xmas Party with buffet.
Sat 06: The Jive Aces @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £22.00., £20.00.
Sat 06: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. special guest Donna Hewitt (sax, clarinet).
Sun 07: Finn-Keeble Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Ruth Lambert.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Jason Isaacs Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 5:15pm (4:00pm doors). £21.50 (inc. bf).
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Support set from Play More Jazz! course participants. Note earlier start.

Mon 08: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 09: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm

Wed 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 10: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Mike Lindup Jazz Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £26.50 (inc. bf). Lindup, Yolanda Charles (bass), John Sam (drums).
Wed 10: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00.

Thu 11: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: West Coast (cool ) / Wordsearch (cool) Cool Jazz or ‘Cold’, ‘Cool’, ‘Hot’, ‘Warm’ in the title or lyrics.
Thu 11: George Robinson @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £5.42 (inc. bf). Vienna’s Voice charity evening featuring ’15 year old singing sensation the ‘Redcar Crooner’ George Robinson’. Over 35s only.
Thu 11: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. back tapes.
Thu 11: Ransom Van @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 11: Down for the Count Swing Orchestra @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:30pm. £37.70 (inc. bf). ‘Swing into Xmas’.

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

Wednesday, July 05, 2017

Kaz Hawkins @ Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival - July 1

How do you follow St Lucian Energy, and old style Swing? 
Allow me to introduce you to
ORIGINAL HIGH CELTIC ENERGY
UNDILUTED, RAW, POWERFUL, 
SO REAL & FOLLOWS NO BEAT
OTHER THAN HER OWN 
Miss KAZ HAWKINS
who grabs you into her heart
enveloping you with life songs
her saviour into which she pours
her life’s highs and lows
we all know these points
but it takes a brave soul
to tell them in song
and she does it 
no less than the great
writers Spirits in this world
A survivor who sings out her Praise
and Glory and Love for Her Family .

 I am a poet/lyricist myself and I recognise
in this lady a fine poet/lyricist
and singer, well her voice
reminds me of a reflection
of God...it is from this point,
this chord where her voice evolves.

Her Bigness in Body, Soul, Spirit & Voice
Fills this Field of Dreams
Campers Catching her Essence
and holding her words to their Hearts

BABY I'M BAD, BUT BABY I LOVE YOU
DRINK WITH THE DEVIL
IS ABOUT BOYFRIEND NO 45
“I used to get around” she laughs
and the audience laughs with her.

She's Pure Rock & Roll .
I ****....ing Love Her..
I am sat on the grass 
right in front of her
absorbing her undiluted Presence
& Louis Armstrong 
is like here singing
the blues through her.
The Real Deal
is what I feel
100% Proof
fills all the dots and T's
brill off and on stage
big hugs I had from her
before she went on
I did my homework 
the day before
as I was cleaning
in kitchen & utility
knew here was a soul sister
I called her by name
early Saturday in the field
she turned smiled and held out
her arms and mine joined hers
two Celtic Girls Hugging.
The Energy I felt
is what she is on stage
as Big as Niagara Falls.

I am introduced to Yanny her great bass player
who emits the same full of life spirit on stage 
Dr Nick lead guitar, who has charm, wit
and plays round and round the helter skelter
of tight circles of music..wheee wheee

“ SENSATIONAL  COMPLETE GUITARIST”
Adds MR TOFFEE JOSEPH.... from St Lucia Brilliant Guitarist 

“What else can I do except agree.. when one master is appraising another,
you agree, especially when you know it to be true....he reminds us both of
a legend...and Toffee reminds me of a legend also...you couldn't make
this review up..'
Etta James is her idol...as a little girl a pianist told her to listen to her
and in Etta she found a sister who sang..
In Her Rendition of I Just Wanna Make Love To You.
Bass is pure gets you in the core.
Peto on drums gets hotter and hotter like a sports car revving
and firing on all cylinders on Brands Hatch swinging his arms
like leaves blowing hard in the wind..he is a Ferrari
Yanny is a Count Basie on Bass.

The ending of this song is Spectacular ..
pause..guitar chord...then
Nick does a solo...then
Orgasmic Atmosphere....
Wow!!! 

I AM IS HERE
IN THIS PRESENCE
OF HEART & LIFE SONG

Peto, Jan & Nick are Warriors of Music
who stand guard in every way to 
support this Lady Kaz.
I am crying now writing this,
after confirming to myself what my spirit knew
as I relate to her background
but I didn't know this until I read her
back story in last five minutes with her
FANTASTIC ALBUM 
DON'T YOU KNOW  playing.

I am so honoured to have 
met, held, encouraged her
in our kindred spirit chat
even tho we never mentioned a word.
GOD BLESS YOU KAZ 

DON'T YOU GIVE UP GIRL...


Annie O' Donnell    4th July 2017

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