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

18246 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 100 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 31), 100

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

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.

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Durham Alumni Big Band & Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Theatre. 7:30pm. £12.00. Two big bands on stage together!
Fri 06: Nauta + Littlewood Trio @ Little Buildings, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Double bill + jam session.
Fri 06: FILM: Made in America @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Ornette Coleman.
Fri 06: Deep Six Blues @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Jazz Café October, 2017, Press Release.

Andersson / Pringle / Banner /Pereira 7th October and Michael Messer’s Mitra at The Jazz Cafe 27th October 2017
The 7th October visit to The Jazz Cafe of Andersson / Pringle / Banner / Pereira marks the third appearance at the venue by the group’s pianist Mark Pringle. He first appeared in September 2015 with his critically acclaimed Moveable Feast Trio (The Independent described Mark at this time as “stupendously talented”) and returned in 2017 in a stunningly good duo with trumpeter Tom Syson.
Between times, on the prestigious European Jazz Masters Programme, Mark has been completing a Masters degree in Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Berlin, opening himself respectively in those cities to free improv, world music rhythms and in Berlin, where he lives, to a mix of everything musical. And - at the same time - connecting with musicians from all over Europe and beyond.
This new quartet brings together three of his favourite musicians to explore their shared and contrasting influences, each musician contributing compositions to the mix. Expect simple melodies, driving swing and influences ranging from Scandinavian folk music, to American drummer and percussionist Paul Motian and the 20th-century Hungarian composer Bela Bartok to name only a few.
Mark’s collaborators in the band are Tobias Andersson, guitar from Sweden, who he describes as “a really lyrical and mature player with a strong emphasis on sound and space,” João Lopes Pereira, drums from Portugal, described by Mark as having “a special touch and natural feeling for swing” and as being “incomparable....in the young European generation” and James Banner, double bass, Mark’s oldest musical associate, another inhabitant of the Berlin creative music scenes and a member of the 2015 Moveable Feast Trio.
Michael Messer, slide guitarist, singer and blues and roots innovator has been touring and recording successfully for over 30 years, receiving a string of awards and in 2008 launching Michael Messer Resonator Guitars.

But in 2013, with the birth of Mitra (Jazz Cafe 27th October, a co-promotion with Gem Arts), he entered an exciting new musical chapter as did his collaborators Manish Pingle (pronounced ‘Pinglay’) on Indian slide guitar (mohan veena) and Gurdain Rayatt (tabla). Michael continues to sing and to play slide and lap steel guitar.

Mitra (pronounced ‘meetra’), meaning friends, is a unique fusion of Mississippi delta and hill country blues and Hindustani classical music. Neither Gurdain, regarded as one of the greatest tabla players of his generation outside India, nor Mumbai - based Manish, one of the new rising stars of Indian slide guitar, had previously heard Michael’s style of blues yet the combination of their styles was immediate and totally natural.

Meetra’s first CD, Call of the Blues, released in February 2016 hit #1 in the iTunes Blues Chart and was nominated in the “Best Band” category in the Songlines 2017 Music Awards.                                                                                                                  
This is more than another meeting of musicians from different cultures, this is a band with its own unique and highly accessible sound, creating a fascinating musical journey, running from the banks of the Mississippi, via London to Mumbai and the Ganges delta. 
Venue: The Jazz Cafe, 25 – 27 Pink Lane, Newcastle NE1 5DW.
Box Office : Tuesday to Saturday 0191 222 9882 from noon.
Andersson / Pringle / Banner / Pereira: 9pm (Doors 8.30pm) Sat 7th October.                                                           Michael Messer’s Mitra : 9pm (Doors 8.30pm) Fri 27th October.
Further details from:
Dave Clarke
Jazz Café
clarkedave55@gmail.com

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