Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Steadman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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, September 02, 2017

2017 Proms: Swing No End - BBC4 Sept. 1










(Review by Lance)
Picking up from where I left off during the live Radio 3 broadcast, I continue with BBC 4 and the TV footage.
Compere Clare Teal brought on fellow vocalists Cherise Burnett-Adams and Ben Cipolla who had also been with her earlier this year at GIJF. The Boswell Sisters were invoked with Roll on Mississippi Roll on and now, as they did back in April, Cherise and Ben did her proud. To finish the first set the two big bands combined for a rousing Apple Honey with some fine solos all-round. Alan Barnes on clarinet even looked like Woody Herman! Some amazing trumpet in the ride-out with both drummers pushing themselves to the limit.
It was good to have Boyd Raeburn remembered. Raeburn was as progressive as Kenton and maybe got there a little earlier. Boyd Meets Stravinsky by the Rollins band.
And so the show, like the Mississippi, rolled on. I was enjoying it so much I stopped taking notes so, finding I couldn't remember all of the unforgettable music from last night's broadcast, I'll just have to crib from the BBC playlist.
Clare Teal/Accent vocal group: I Got the Sun in the Morning.
Both bands: Four Brothers (or in this case, six brothers and four sisters!)
Mads Mathias: I Can't Get Started. (Both trumpet sections blowing the famous Bunny Berigan solo in unison!)
Rollins: Ridin' High.
Vanessa Haynes: Stormy Weather.
Accent/Rollins: My Blue Heaven.
Pee Wee Ellis: Body and Soul. Superb tenor and fine drumming from Ed Richardson.
Both Bands: St. Louis Blues March. It wouldn't be a show without Glenn and this adaptation of the AEF band's arrangement is as good as it gets. The precision of both drummers,  Forbes and Richardson (is he stalking me?) fantastic!
Rob Green: Orange Coloured Sky.
Vanessa Haynes/Barker: On Revival Day. Great plunger trombone solo by ? 
Everybody: T'ain't What You Do.
Encore:  Mambo Medley - Fantastic ending!
Lance.
Complete BBC4 broadcast. (Available till September 30.) Guy Barker Big Band (Guy Barker MD/conductor/trumpet)
Saxophones: Graeme Blevins, Alan Barnes, Karen Sharp Paul Booth, Jessamy Holder
Trumpets: Nathan Bray, Tom Rees -Roberts, Chris Storr, Georgina Jackson/Guy Barker
Trombones: Nichol Thomson, Alastair White, Harry Brown, Mark Frost
Rhythm: Al Cherry, Mike Gorman, Tim Thornton, Ed Richardson

Winston Rollins Big Band (Winston Rollins conductor/trombone)
Saxophones: Howard McGill, Alex Garnett, Rob Fowler, Chelsea Carmichael, Gemma Moore
Trumpets: Mike Lovatt, Pat White, Freddie Gavita, Annette Brown
Trombones: Barnaby Dickinson, Callum Au, Carol Jarvis, Barry Clements
Rhythm: David Archer, Joe Webb, Alec Dankworth, Shane Forbes

1 comment :

Liz said...

still haven't seen it completely. but seen enough to enjoy a first class show. I loved the way the members of the band joined in with background vocals, where appropriate It was always done in the early Band Show one night shows, and it is fun as all of the musicians have smiley faces. I also remember how they would proceed down into the audience and parade around the auditorium playing their instruments!

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