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).

Sunday, December 31, 2017

The New Year Gongs

Well, the lists are in from most of our contributors and I have come to the conclusion that, based upon appearances in the various listings of top gigs and CDs, the NEW STAR of 2017 is Leo Richardson.
A fantastic album - The Chase - and a knockout gig at Darlo's Opus 4 clinched it.
Paul Edis is one of those musicians who defy classification - pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader - you name it and he does it. Maybe, one day he'll succumb to the lure of the fleshpots of London, New York or Grimsby (not so far to travel) but please hang around for a while longer.
Paul has been astonishing (along with James Birkett and Sage Gateshead) in bringing jazz talent to the fore via Jambone and the other Sage supported bands. There are suggestions that this support is soon to be withdrawn...
The Jazz Café on Newcastle's Pink Lane has the best ever floating jam session in 'The Toon' on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. This is where you find the stars and the also-rans of the future - most of them are in the former category.
The Jazz Coop @ The Globe, The ambitious, trailblazing decision to buy a pub caused a few eyebrows to be raised but they've also had some great gigs. Bruce Adams with Strictly Smokin' Big Band was sensational. Support the venue.
Hoochie Coochie is for those with Soul but Warren doesn't give two f's as to the genre as long as the music is good and pulls the punters. My favourite venue in Newcastle.
The Bridge, JNE's home base and an excellent choice of ale. Steve and Ken keep us up to date on what's happening on the outside.
Individually, Matt MacKellar (natch!), Francis Tulip, Joel Brown, Abbie Finn,  Dylan and Alex Thompson are just some of the players I'll be looking out for.
The Future Looks Good!
Lance

3 comments :

Martin Hummel (on F/b) said...

Bebop Spoken Here has just announced its 2017 Gongs of The Year. As Lance Liddle wrote, "Based upon appearances in the various listings of top gigs and CDs, the NEW STAR of 2017 is Leo Richardson."
Wow...the guys did well, and deservedly so.

E J Cohen (on F/b) said...

WOW!!!!!!!! Soooo proud of you, Leo Richardson!!!!

Beverley Aarons (on F/b) said...

Oh my word!!!! Leo, you are amazing! An amazing start to 2018!
Whoop whoop! Xxx

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