April 2025.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.
Sat 26: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington. 12 noon. Free (donations).
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.
Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Tue 29: ???
Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.
MAY 2025
Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.
During my recent hospital stay I received the following sad news from Gordon Solomon:
5 comments :
It hadn't occurred to me before, but it's true that Bill "never spoke ill of anyone". Also, I can't recall him ever using a profanity. Noble qualities which few of us live up to. Bill Brooks - a great guy and a terrific string bass player - it was a privilege to know him and play alongside him. RIP.
Very sad to hear of the passing of Bill Brooks. A real gent and a very fine player of the double bass. R.I.P
Raymond Newton Double Bass player
I was very sorry to hear of Bill's death. He and I played together in different bands - mostly the Vieux Carre - right through the '70's. He was a cheerful, funny man, and a great bass-player for that time, especially after he took lessons from Albert Collins to improve his (self-taught?) technique. I got to know him quite well when we both played in a rather good "hybrid" band called the Gateway/Panama Jazzband in 1974/75, in Hexham at the Beaumont Hotel and other gigs from Haltwhistle to Carlisle (including a memorable night with George Chisholm, who turned out to be a superb pianist!). Gordon Solomon was on trombone and Joe McMullon on Cornet - I took over the gig from Stan Martin - with Micky Potts on piano and Albert Holliday on drums. Bill had an Escort van, full of his work gear, and the neck of his bass used to come through the middle of the two front seats. One night, coming back from Carlisle or somewhere, on the military road just coming down the hill towards Chollerford, Bill fell asleep at the wheel, just before a corner. I shouted and he frantically turned left and hit the brakes and the neck of the bass shot sideways and forwards straight through the steering wheel so he couldn't steer the van! Thank God we stopped before hitting anything or going off the road. He stayed awake after that! He was a fully qualified explosives expert, too - but that's another story........
Sad to hear of Bill's passing. He was a lovely person who was a solid bass player with great time and drive. Rhythm sections with Bill on bass were always very good rhythm sections. As has been mentioned he was a great guitar enthusiast, very keen on Django style playing. He told me too about his work at the pit (I think Greenside) where he had responsibility for the use of explosives.
Roly
I was so sad to hear the news about Bill, great musician and a lovely person, an saw Bill & Dad many times at the Corner House and with various bands over the years. The big surprise for me was when Bill and I think his sister, Heather ?? came out to Hong Kong to see me at Ned Kelly's back in 2004. What a surprise and such a wonderful memory to hold. RIP.
Colin Aitchison
Hong Kong
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