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

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Lickety Split @ The Globe. The Jazz Coop Christmas Party, December 17

Eddie Bellis (trombone, introductions); Kevin Eland (trumpet, flugelhorn); Paul Gowland (tenor sax); Alan Marshall (alto sax); Jeremy McMurray (keys); Bradley Johnston (guitar); John Pope (bass); Sid Wight (drums).
(Review by Ann Alex) 
And here was I thinking that Lickety Split was an ice lolly! It was the first time I’d seen this band and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. They gave an excellent performance, a lively, skilled front line with the precision of a big band, and the engine room behind giving their all. Not just the main tune then solos all round, but much more interesting arrangements with instruments chipping in variously. What tunes did they play? My notes are lacking in this department as I was selling raffle tickets and counting money as well, so I asked the band for a set list. This is jazz folks, so guess what, the list didn’t quite tally with what I heard, but the show was too good to be worrying about such trivialities.
Christmas numbers were included, (not mentioned on the list); we had O Christmas Tree (I know this as The Red Flag, but I refrained from singing it); Silent Night was well improvised and quite loud; The ever popular White Christmas;  and the evening was well rounded off with Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, with the horns in wonderful harmony. In between came Wayne Shorter’s One By One; Mambo Influenciado ; Soul Leo; New Religion; a very spirited Straight No Chaser ( Paul gave a superb solo on sax, a rather slidey run through of the chords, then what sounded like the same chords but much, much faster); then Sister Sadie, with every instrument chipping in.

Other tunes which I believe were played included Stolen Moments; Doxy; Nica’s Dream; Four; Lift Off; Sandu; Dolphin Dance; I Remember Clifford. I’m not able to say more about the performance as I was involved in other duties, so I must see this band again. I’m not sure how I’ve missed them so far. Eddie told us that the band had been together for many years and this was their 10th birthday.  
This was, of course, the Globe Christmas party, with lots of food and 12 Cds for the raffle prizes. The Cds had been kindly donated by Dave Weisser, with the raffle money going to the Globe funds. The party began at 6pm with the Globe Jam house bands conducting proceedings and the downstairs bar was full. The bands did a great job of getting us in the groove ready for  Lickety Split. They were:-
Stu Finden (tenor sax) Fiona Finden (soprano sax) Dave Weisser (cornet); Jude Murphy ( flute, sax); Keith Barrett (guitar). Sorry, I can’t remember the full names of the 2 drummers or the bass player. I do remember that a good time was had by all. The metro called me home before the end of the evening, so it could still be going on for all I know.
Ann Alex

1 comment :

Kev said...

I don't know what Ann was listening to but silent night is a gentle Bossa but then the drums were loud all the way through.

Kev Eland

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