Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (DownBeat May, 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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: 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 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Monday, October 23, 2017

Gerry Richardson's Big Idea @ Hoochie Coochie - October 22










Gerry (Crumax Keyboard/vocal); STING (guest vocalist); Garry Linsley (alto); Stuart Johnson(tenor); Sue Ferris.(Baritone/flute); Mark Webb (trumpet); Dave  Hignett,(trumpet); David Gray.(trombone); Rod Sinclair(guitar) Adam Sinclair (drums).
(Review by John T.) 
It’s been a while since I’d seen Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea so the Sunday afternoon gig at Hoochie drew my attention. Can’t believe that it was only their second performance at the venue. Considering it was a free gig there wasn’t exactly a full house for the 5pm kick off. It did fill up later on though as a special surprise artist was to perform in the second half. 
The first set started with Stone Church and Blues for Red followed by Ska Odyssey. Big Jazz Club in the Sky was next - a vocal for Gerry. African Sunset, Right On, The Turnaround Shuffle came next. The set finished with my favourite vocal from Gerry, Lady Day and John Coltrane.

The second set began with a guest vocalist on the first number only. Non other than STING doing a Bill Withers number Aint No Sunshine. (see attached video) Then followed The Sticks, Song of the Ferris, Ain’t No Stopping us Now and Another Dark One The set finished with I Think I’ll Lay Waste to Myself Tonight, All About McGriff, Autumn in Barrio, Take the Tee Train and Night Train.
Everyone is talking about Sting’s visit to the Northeast. My friends inform me that he was at the match on Saturday. Well, they should have been at the Hoochie on Sunday. This was a gig I will never forget. I seem to think the last time I heard him play live was at the gig where Gordon Solomon christened him STING, some four decades or more ago.
I know musicians always play to their best when they have a special guest but this was something else. It was a phenomenal event and every number was honed to perfection. For my money the man of the match was young David Grey on trombone, a great young talent.
Thanks to Warren once again for putting on this free gig. Even he did not know that STING was going to perform. A complete surprise!
John T.
at

1 comment :

David Matthew Gray (on F/b). said...

Brilliant gig, and thanks for the shout-out John!

Tuesday, October 24, 2017 8:33:00 am

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive