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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 2025).

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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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

Saturday, February 17, 2018

Crooners - Whitley Bay Playhouse - February 16


Roman Marek, Jim Whitley. Phil Barley (singers).
Chris Hibbard (trombone); Jon Hibbard (alto); Jim Corry (alto); Simon Kaylor (tenor); Damian Bell (trumpet); Daniel Hammerton (trumpet); Jason Scott (piano); Paul Baxter (bass); Dave Hockman (drums).
(Review by Lance).
A fun evening packed with pratfalls, bawdy humour, fine singing and a stonkingly good band. The band were deserving of a feature, perhaps in the form of an overture; all good musicals have an overture* and, on the strength of the occasional short solo these guys, co-led by the Brothers Hibbard, were well up to the task.
The three singers did the job effectively being themselves or, as the occasion demanded, Frank, Dean and Sammy.
The plot was slender to nonexistent - the last three crooners in the world discovered in the sleepy hamlet of Whitley Bay (next week Billingham). Michael Bublé was mentioned but he didn't count as he was Canadian. Although the fine auditorium wasn't full -"Fancy all these people coming dressed as empty seats" quipped one of the stars - those present had a ball.
Apart from the solo features most of the numbers were in trio form with the crooners seamlessly switching the lyric between them. Whitley and Barlow also did some fancy hoofing on Cute.
One minor irritant was 'the business' during the vamp till ready intros which invariably went on too long making this listener impatient for the song to begin. Fly me to the Moon in particular springs to mind.
However, a mere fly in the ointment of the overall picture which was one of great songs beautifully sung and played and a lot of humour.
Catch them when you can.
Lance.
How Do You Do; Come Fly With Me; You Make me Feel so Young; My Kind of Girl; How Are Ya' Fixed For Love?; L.O.V.E; Give me the Moonlight; When You're Smiling; You're Awful; Cute; Nice and Easy; Blues in the Night; As Long as I'm Singing; Ain't That a Kick in the Head?; Mr Bojangles; Fly me to the Moon; It Had to be You; I Get a Kick Out of You; On the Street Where You Live; The Lady is a Tramp; I'm Gonna Live Till I Die; Mack the Knife; The Curtain Falls.
*Blues in the Night which opened the second half was close to being an overture with some fine tenor sax from Simon Kaylor.

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