Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Mon 15: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 16: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Tue 16: A Jazzy Xmas @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Kyran Matthews (tenor sax, soprano sax); Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums).
Tue 16: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 12 noon. £29.00 (inc. bf). ‘Festive Lunch’. VCJ on stage 12 noon (three sets 'til 4:00pm).
Wed 17: Lazy River Band @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Veronica Perrin, Chris Perrin, John Farragher, Phil Rutherford
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Wed 17: A Jazzy Xmas @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Kyran Matthews (tenor sax, soprano sax); Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ YOLO, Ponteland. 7:00pm. ‘Swing & Jazz Night’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 18: Joe Steels & Friends @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:30pm. Free (donations).

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! .
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackosn’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

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, March 17, 2018

Good for Jamie Cullum.

On Tuesday night, before his weekly Jazz Show on Radio Two, Jamie said to Simon Mayo that he was paying tribute to Quincy Jones on the eve of his 85th birthday. Mayo asked him about the comments Quincy made about that pop group - you know the one - and his response was “He's Quincy Jones, he can say what he likes” and “Good for him.”
There's been lots of discussion on social media along the lines of what has Quincy Jones ever done for us? Apart from the Jazz, like Dizzy and many others, aside from some of the most memorable theme tunes ever, like Heat of the Night and Ironside, apart from the small matter of Frank Sinatra, aside from the Brothers Johnson, Patti Austin and Benson, apart from Miles' return to the music he made with Gil Evans shortly after his death, what did Q ever do for us to compare to the Beatles?
Ben E king once said that Black America couldn't compete with the Beatles and their haircuts. Maybe if we'd had Michael Jackson.
Q and MJ destroyed them at their own game with Off the Wall and Thriller.
Steve T.

5 comments :

Russell said...

To our BSH ‘prog rock’ correspondent: And I Love Her, Anytime at All, Don’t Let Me Down, Eleanor Rigby, A Hard Day’s Night, I Feel Fine, I Saw Her Standing There, Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer, She Loves You, Something, This Boy, Twist and Shout, Yer Blues and You’re Going to Lose That Girl…unsurpassed vocal harmonies; Lennon’s definitive rock vocals on Twist and Shout; the lyrics ‘Well she was just seventeen, You Know What I Mean’ and ‘You’re going to lose that girl’ – more wonderful vocal harmonies. Your honour, I rest my case.

Lance said...

"You’re Going to Lose That Girl…unsurpassed vocal harmonies"
Unsurpassed vocal harmonies?! I suggest a course of LHR; Man Tran; 4 Freshmen or the Boswell/Andrews Sisters.

Anonymous said...

I think having a dig at prog rock is unfair... It's more related to jazz than anything the beatles ever did. Also "unsurpassed vocal harmonies?" Really? It's generally pretty standard pop harmony. Check out some more serious music for unsurpassed harmonies... and some serious rock for "definitive rock vocals"
John

Steve T said...

I recall Andy Sheppard doing And I love Her and being surprised that it worked (I believe Lance saw Roland Kirk do it). Shortly after I heard Vanessa Feltz play it on the radio (you're in good company believers) and realised how terrible the vocals were.
The only rock record they ever made was Tomorrow Never Knows and George Martin had the decency to distort the silly voice.
Impressions, Dells, OJays, Chilites, Tops, Temps, Blue Magic, Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, Dramatics, Spinners, Whispers, Soul Children, Facts of Life, Temprees, Isleys, Abyssinians, Heptones, Culture, Black Uhuru, Maytals, Wailers etc. etc.
Ironically, all the kiddies pop groups knew their place, just their screaming fans didn't and by the Gallaghers they'd become all things to all people. But singers? Really?

Steve T said...

Manhattan Transfer; you're not as stupid as I look. Considered a bit novelty where I come from but one of them does a brilliant job duetting with Leon Ware on Why I came to California. Check out Dr Buzzards Original Savannah Band (though not for vocal harmonies)for the real thing (where I come from) but you may think THEM a little novelty. Still haven't got LHR but I'll no doubt kick myself.

Yes are playing Sage tonight so expect loads of Jazz influenced guitar, extended passages, difficult time signatures and lots of other techniques shamelessly plundered from Jazz and classical music.
Incidentally, Steve Howe has recently called Quincy Jones' comments pathetic, so he should know his place and know better. Beatles fans aren't about to start buying Yes records Steve; they like the karaoke music and only buy the other music the media tells them to buy; so Bob Dylan, Pet Sounds, Bowie and punkrock (on vinyl).

Moments, Manhattans, Main Ingredient, Delfonocs, Techniques, Paragons, Melodians, Alton Ellis and the Flames etc. etc.

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