Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Thu 13: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 13: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! Back on Aug. 27.
Thu 13: 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 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: John Settle Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. John Settle (vibes); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 14: Bold Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00 + bf.

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Monday, February 26, 2018

Vintage River City photo.

John Carstairs Hallam sent me this vintage photo of the River City Jazzmen and would like to know more about it and the names of the musicians.
I recognise the late John Saxelby on clarinet and the current leader of the Maine Street Jazzmen, Herbie Hudson, on trombone. Can anyone complete the line-up?
Lance.
PS: I've seen the photo before, in fact it's probably on this site somewhere!

5 comments :

Dave Kerr said...

The picture you posted of the River City Jazz Band is in fact.
The Clem Avery Jazz Band. It was taken at the original New Orleans
Club in Melbourne Street now demolished. The band had a Thursday
night residency and I was a regular attendee before they moved to
the new club behind the Central Station now an Indian restaurant.
The line up in the picture is Clem Avery, trumpet, Lawrence McBriarty, trombone,
John Saxlby, clarinet, Doug Richardson, bass, Gordon Herrick, drums & Bill Walton
banjo. They played a mixture of New Orleans jazz and some King Oliver tunes.
Dave Kerr

Lance said...

Thanks for putting me right Dave. I should have recognised Billy Walton as we were both in the same cycling club around about this time - probably mid to late fifties.

Bill Walton said...

Bill Walton here, re photograph, it's not the River City it's the Clem Avery Jazzmen: left to right: John Saxlby-clt; Doug Richardson-bass; Clem Avery-tpt; Gordon Herrick-drums; Bill Walton-banjo; Laurence McBriarty-tmb.
Fancy you not recognising me, I am cut to the quick and inconsolable!
Regards
Bill (incidentally I look just the same now as on the photograph)

Carstairs said...

I'm not sure that I identified it as the River City. I recognised Clem and Lawrence, and made a guess at Dougie Richardson, but the others were before my time up here! I certainly didn't suss out the venue.

Lance said...

I'm afraid the River City idea was mine taken from one of the posters on the wall.
I'm off to Specsavers tomorrow!

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