Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Francis Tulip: ''Music speaks louder than words''. (Jazzwise, June 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

17,550 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 514 of them this year alone and, so far, 92 this month (June 28).

From This Moment On ...

JULY 2025

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: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Hopper-Watson Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. + £1.00. bf.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 10: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Soloists, Orchestras & Hot Fives.
Thu 10: Side Café Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 11: Paul Skerritt Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church, Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00. A Bishop Auckland Jazz promotion. New venue (second Friday in the month)!
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Beehive, Earsdon NE25 0SZ. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Fiona Finden Jazz Express @ Flash House Brewery, North Shields NE30 1DS. 8:00pm. Free.

Sat 12: Jazz Stage @ Mouth of the Tyne Festival. From 12 noon. Free. Vieux Carré Jazzmen (12 noon); Rendezvous Jazz (1:00pm); Mississippi Dreamboats (2:00pm); Classic Swing (3:00pm); Abbie Finn Trio (4:00pm). Stage adjacent to Tynemouth Priory.
Sat 12: Making Music Seminar: Latin American Music v. Music of Latin America @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 1:00pm. £15.00. (£5.00. online). Jason Holcomb, Alix Shepherd & Carlos Luis Rivera.
Sat 12: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Lovaine Community Garden, North Shields. 7:00pm (doors 6:40pm). £6.00. Limited places, booking essential (via the Community Garden website). BYOF&D.
Sat 12: Hot Club du Nord @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Hall Two.
Sat 12: Sleep Suppressor @ Repas 7 by Night, Berwick. 8:00pm.
Sat 12: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle.8:00pm. Free. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Jazz Stage @ Mouth of the Tyne Festival. From 11:00am. Free. Trilogy of Four (11:00am); East Coast Jazzmen (12:10pm); Delta Prophets Trio (1:20pm); House of the Black Gardenia (2:30pm); Mouth of the Tyne All Stars (3:40pm). Stage adjacent to Tynemouth Priory.
Sun 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free. ‘The Bandstand Sessions’.
Sun 13: Julie Dexter @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm (doors). £20.00. ‘The Cluny Matinee Jazz Club’.
Sun 13: ’58 Jazz Collective, Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 2:00pm. Tea Dance. SOLD OUT! A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sun 13: Ferg Kilsby @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Kilsby (trumpet, flugelhorn); Luis Verde (alto sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Hirst (drums).
Sun 13: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Sloth Racket @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 14: Brass Bash @ Hardwick Park, Co. Durham. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Mon 14: Brass Bash @ The Story, Mount Oswald, Co. Durham. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.

Tue 15: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Sluice. Tel: 0191 237 3697. 12:30pm. ‘July Jazz Barbecue’. Tickets: £15.00.
Tue 15: Brass Bash @ Hackworth Park, Shildon, Co. Durham. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Tue 15: Brass Bash @ The Witham, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Various bands. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Tue 15: Julian Lage Trio @ 1856 Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm . Lage (guitar); Jorge Roeder (double bass); Joey Barron (drums).
Tue 15: Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm.
Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.

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

Monday, March 12, 2018

Alter Ego: Darlington Jazz Festival Launch @ The Keys, Darlington - March 11

Keith Robinson (alto sax); Niall Armstrong (tenor sax & flute); Dave Hignett (trumpet & flugelhorn); Andy Hawking (keyboards); Ian Paterson (bass) & David Francis (drums)
(Review by Russell). 
Darlington Jazz Festival goes from strength to strength and this year’s edition, the seventh, has a big name attraction – the ubiquitous Alan Barnes – and a host of top-class musicians from across the northeast region and beyond. Trumpeter Matt Roberts returns once again to participate in his hometown festival, this year playing the music of Kenny Dorham with his promised all-star sextet. When the line-up is confirmed, and here’s a clue, it’s likely to be very similar to last year’s amazing band, it will be standing room only at the Voodoo Café. Al Wood will be involved, similarly, the duo of Emma Fisk and James Birkett, pianist Paul Edis, and Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club will be expecting a full house thanks to American piano virtuoso Jeff Barnhart renewing acquaintance with multi-reedsman John Hallam. All of this is to come over the May bank holiday weekend (Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th), however, before then there is much more jazz to come over the coming weeks which began with yesterday’s festival launch event featuring Alter Ego.

The Keys on Skinnergate staged the launch day with posters adorning the walls informing those in attendance all about this year’s event. The jazz came courtesy of the bop-inspired sextet Alter Ego. The band made the trip from Tyneside and Tynedale to play two sets to an appreciative crowd. The continued absence of Tony Abell afforded Ian Paterson the opportunity to gig with the band and the bassist acquitted himself with distinction. Blues Marx got things underway with Keith Robinson and Andy Hawking grabbing the first solos of the evening. Get Back In followed, then a new one – Zippit – sounded good with Robinson, alto, and Hawking, keyboards, once again in the spotlight. Mustard Mash has been in the pad a while and it’s always good to hear it. Its composer Niall Armstrong and frontline partner Dave Hignett featured on tenor sax and flugelhorn respectively.

The Jazz Messengers’ much-loved sound, propelled by Art Blakey, is, perhaps, a starting point for Alter Ego. No-nonsense drummer David Francis drove the band with quiet efficiency flanked either side by depping bassist Paterson and amiable pianist Hawking. The absent Tony Abell contributed to the evening as composer with his bandmates playing Llangranog Blues. Occasionally Alter Ego up the tempo and on this Darlington gig they did just that playing Hit and Run. Given an opportunity, Dave Hignett will attempt to blow the roof off and so he did on The Perpetrator, Hawking’s Scriabin Scraps further illustrated the band’s multi-talented complement of composers, and again on a tune of Armstrong’s titled Dog Leap Bounce.

This Darlington Jazz Festival launch event was well worth the effort and those present enjoyed the music – hats off to Alter Ego – and thanks go to Shaune, Danielle, Beth and all involved in making the evening such a success. Darlington Jazz Festival. www.darlingtonjazzfestival.co.uk 
Russell.                                 

1 comment :

Ray said...

with less than 2 months to go, there is very little info on the "Jazz Festival" link !

Blog Archive