Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 12 noon. £29.00 (inc. bf). ‘Festive Lunch’. VCJ on stage 12 noon (three sets 'til 4:00pm).
Wed 17: Lazy River Band @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Veronica Perrin, Chris Perrin, John Farragher, Phil Rutherford
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Wed 17: A Jazzy Xmas @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Kyran Matthews (tenor sax, soprano sax); Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ YOLO, Ponteland. 7:00pm. ‘Swing & Jazz Night’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 18: Joe Steels & Friends @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:30pm. Free (donations).

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! .
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

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

Saturday, August 05, 2017

Jazz Stars Head to Ilkley

(Press release).
Ilkley Jazz Festival, now in its fourth year, starts Wednesday 16th August and is bigger and better than ever with more acts and headlining International Jazz stars from London as well as the very best of Northern and Yorkshire jazz talent.
Headlining on Friday 18th at the Winter Gardens, Ilkley, with his latest album ‘Theory of Joy’ is International Jazz vocalist Ian Shaw, often compared with Kurt Elling and Mark Murphy and recently nominated in the prestigious Downbeat Magazine jazz poll as best vocalist. 


On Saturday 19th at The Winter Gardens there are five sensational jazz acts that give the full breadth of the contemporary jazz genre.  The day starts at 1pm with northern based Jamil Sheriff’s piano trio, followed by British Jazz Award winning Jamie Brownfields trumpet led quartet, then Mobo nominated James Mainwaring leads a new sax lead quartet, expect a master-class in jazz singing as Beverley Beirne sings Carmichael at 6.30pm followed by leading London pianist John Crawford who headlines Saturday evening at 8pm with his Latin influenced jazz music from his latest Album Times of Tide.

Another 8 events around Ilkley at venues including Monkmans with celebrated Northern singer Zoe Gilby on Wednesday 16th and Richard Ormrod on Friday 18th.
Martinez, Dave Smith Blues, Wednesday 16th.
Quinta Restaurant have exceptional Yorkshire singer Julie Edwards on Thursday 17th.
The Black Hat, Hot Club Du Nord, Sunday 20th and Friends of Ham, young dynamic band Treppenwitz, Thursday 17th.

Keep a lookout too for lively New Orleans style brass band Backchat Brass who will be performing a pop up gig at the station and around Ilkley…!

Budding jazzers, look out for the FREE educational events run by leading jazz pro’s, the long running workshop and the masterclass (by John Crawford) and the popular and lively Late Night Jazz Jam is back at The Black Hat, giving new jazz blood a chance play.  So don’t be shy!

Tickets for these events are available at the Ilkley Visitor Information Centre, there are Friday night tickets (£15), Saturday individual priced tickets (£various) Saturday full day tickets (£30) and Weekend tickets (£40)

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2 comments :

Steve T said...

Unfortunately I can't make it this year, but it's a great little festival: easy to get to, easy to find, easy to get around, easy to park - a big deal these days - and, once again, some great bands.
Last year saw a number of North East musicians and quite a lot of Gypsy Jazz, so the two come together this time in Emma Fisks HCDN, featuring several incredible musicians, known to anyone who follows North East Jazz. Also Zoe and Andy ditto.
In fact, I'm going to try to get down for something.

Sunday, August 06, 2017 7:26:00 pm
Lance said...

Latest news is that the Zoe Gilby concert at Monkmans on Wednesday August 16 is now SOLD OUT!

Tuesday, August 08, 2017 7:42:00 am

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