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For the past sixteen years we've been updating the world about jazz in the north east of England and updating the north east of England about jazz in the world. WINNER of the Jazz Media Category in the 2018 All Party Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Contact lanceliddle@gmail.com
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Bebop Spoken There
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Ann Braithwaite (Braithwaite & Katz Communications) You’re the BEST!
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Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.
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From This Moment On ...
September
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Giles Strong Quartet @ BAA Fest, Brownrigg Lodges, Bellingham. 2:40pm.
Sun 08: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 08: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Tue 10: ???
Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:30pm. £4.00. ‘A Great Day in Harlem’.
Thu 12: The Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Pete Tanton & co.
Thu 12: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Donna Hewitt, Bill Watson, Dave Archbold, Adrian Beadnell, Mark Hawkins.
Fri 13: Jeff Barnhart & Neville Dickie @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Two pianos, two pianists! SOLD OUT!
Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Dilutey Juice @ Old Coal Yard, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.00. adv..
Fri 13: Ray Stubbs R & B All-stars @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. Classic blues.
Sat 14: Jeff Barnhart’s Silent Film Fest @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 14: Customs House Big Band w. Ruth Lambert @ St Paul’s Centre, St Paul’s Gardens, Spennymoor DL16 7LR. 7:00pm (6:45pm doors). Tickets £10.00. from the venue or tel: 01388 813404. A ‘BYOB’ event.
Sat 14: Emma Wilson @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. £12.00. Acoustic blues.
Sat 14: Rat Pack - Swingin’ at the Sands @ Billingham Forum. 7:30pm.
Thursday, January 04, 2018
Richard Grainger remembers working in JG Windows Ltd.
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Blog Archive
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2018
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950
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January
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63
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- Classic Swing @ The Ship, Monkseaton - January 30
- CD Review: Matthew Read Trio - Anecdotes II
- Paul Booth – Going! Going! Gone!
- Annie Ross
- Best of the month - January
- Women Play Jazz! Workshops @ The Globe, Saturdays ...
- Beats & Pieces Big Band @ RNCM, Manchester – Jan 27
- All This and Heaven Too
- CD Review: Leslie Pintchik - You Eat My Food, You...
- BABMUS @ The Jazz Café - Jan 25
- Binker & Moses…another chance to hear
- Tequila!
- Jazz North East's "JAZZ DE LUXE" at the Lit & Phil...
- Jazz North East's "JAZZ DE LUXE" at the Lit & Phil...
- Near Enough For Jazz (continued)
- Last few for Paul Booth
- Chris Sharkey: In Progress @ The Jazz Café - Jan 24
- Near Enough For Jazz - Bill Harper Reflects
- Classic Swing @ The Ship, Monkseaton - January 23
- RIP Hugh Masekela.
- County Durham update
- Bradley Johnston @ The Fire Station, Sunderland - ...
- CD Review: Melody Gardot - Live In Europe
- CD Review: Greg Cordez - Last Things Last.
- RIP Roswell Rudd (1935-2017)
- Graeme Wilson Quartet @ The Jazz Café - Jan 19
- Incognito @ Hoochie - January 19.
- Jambone @ Sage Gateshead - January 18
- CD Review: Kate McGarry - The Subject Tonight is Love
- CD Review: David Series - Meerkat Parade.
- Jazz Café Jam Session - January 16
- RIP Marlene VerPlanck
- Jazz Café update
- Cat Appeal
- Francis Tulip Quartet @ The Quakerhouse, Darlingto...
- A bit on the Side
- Paul Edis Trio @ The Jazz Café - Jan 12
- The Mo Scott Band @ The Globe, January 11
- CD Review: Ed Jones - For Your Ears Only
- Our Men in Hong Kong.
- All change at the Caff
- Lunchtime Jazz @ the Lit & Phil.
- Help Musicians UK announces Helena Kay the winner ...
- Francis Tulip Quartet @ The Fox Inn, Hexham - Jan 9
- Celebrate 20 years of Concerts @ Caedmon by NCRO
- Jazz on Wearside!
- Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny - Jan 7
- Frank Morgan
- The FT4 set to reconvene
- CD Review: Birkett & Fisk Play Venuti & Lang
- King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers – Jan 5
- Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Gala Theatre, Durham ...
- CD Review: Various Artists - Live at the Spotted Dog.
- CD Review: Mark Cherrie Quartet - Joining the Dots
- Richard Grainger remembers working in JG Windows Ltd.
- CD Review: Phil DeGreg Trio - Queen City Blues
- Tony's top ten for 2017
- Ron Francis Blake - Assimilation
- Paul Edis - Live on stage and on radio
- Bernicia Duo @ The Half Moon, Stakeford - January 1
- More Highlights of 2017
- Songs Of The Year For 2017 from Ann Alex
- CD Review: Carlos Malta & Thomas Clausen - Dreamland.
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January
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63
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7 comments :
Richard! As the last survivor of the Windows triumvirate that you mention, I was the only one who actually could read music and play more than one instrument. In fact, neither could Mr Windows senior or Mr Windows junior play anything other than the cash register! I recall when Ronnie asked for a rise and Hedley Windows huffed and puffed and said, "But you can't read music!"
To which Ronnie played his ace in the hole, "No sir, but I've just sold a grand piano!"
He got his rise.
Windows has changed over the years but it still holds that prime spot in the Central Arcade and will, forever, hold a prime spot in my heart. Me and many other employees and a lot of customers who went on to become friends!
Hi Richard & Lance. I started there straight after school in 77 until I joined the RAF at the beginning of 1980, I worked in the radio dept with Robert Ingleby, Brian Littlefair, Dennis Carr, Chris Barker etc.
I used to get the bus to and from work with Hughie Aichison every day. A real character who I learned a lot from. A real miss in life.
41 years later I’m making my living as a full time singer/musician. Those days at Windows still have an influence on me. But it is different when I get across from Carlisle to Newcastle and go into the shop.
I’m still in touch via Facebook with Lance (obviously) and also Brian and Chris, in fact Chris lives about 12 miles away from me now.
Great to reminisce
Happy new year.
To be fair, Lance, Hughie did play the trumpet and the valve-trombone...... But certainly,l neither he or Ronnie could read music - the closest they got was the sleeve notes on the back of an LP!
One of the first things Ronnie told me was that he'd toured Europe with Teddy Wilson. I'm ashamed to say I'd no idea who Teddy Wilson was.
I worked at Windows as a Saturday worker in the instruments department, from around 1965 and I loved it so much I kept the job going until well past my graduation in 1969. Ronnie McLean was my boss in that department and his second in command was bloke called Tommy Whitworth. Ronnie, of course, had his own jazz band and we used to go to the jazz club to see him. I never went to see Tom's 'combo' who were styled (I think) The TW-5 or something similar. My days at Windows were some of the happiest of my young life. Looking back on it, I would have paid to work there. John Pickard
Hi John, I remember you well -did you have a girlfriend called Jen? I took over from Tommy Whitworth who was a bit of an authority on violin makers. He played keyboards, I'm led to understand, in a band called the Silver Dollars who had a minor hit with 'Rainbow' although this was either before or after Tommy's involvement with them and I've been unable to authenticate his connection with the band. He later became a rep for one of the music trade suppliers and played organ at a club in Tynemouth.
Hi Lance, I did indeed. Jen became my wife and subsequently my ex-wife. I live in Essex now but I still hanker for the fiords. Tommy was a strange bloke, an accomplished keyboard player but always resented being in Ronnie's shadow. Windows was a wonderful part of my young life. I remember the uniformed commissionaire we had. He was a complete reactionary (even for those days) and used to foam at the mouth at young blokes with long hair. "I'd hang one or two in every city", he used to say. He was ex-army and really hated long-haired blokes with a will - this was in the 60s when long-hair was still relatively new on men. He was handy to have on match days when the town was fully of rowdies and we sometimes got them in the shop.
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