Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18246 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 100 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 31), 100

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Durham Alumni Big Band & Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Theatre. 7:30pm. £12.00. Two big bands on stage together!
Fri 06: Nauta + Littlewood Trio @ Little Buildings, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Double bill + jam session.
Fri 06: FILM: Made in America @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Ornette Coleman.
Fri 06: Deep Six Blues @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 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

Friday, April 06, 2018

CD Review: Paul Moran - Smokin' B3. Volume 2 - Still Smokin'

Tracks 1-4,7,9,11: Paul Moran (B3, trumpet, flugel); Nigel Price (guitar); Laurence Cottle (bass guitar); Mez Clough (drums); Michael Osbourne (perc.).
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Tracks 5,6,8,10: Paul Moran (B3, bass pedal); Jim Mullen (guitar); Adam Roman (drums); Jeff Scantlebury (perc.).
(Review by Lance).
Twenty years on from Paul Moran's debut album - Smokin' B3 - up comes volume 2 - Still Smokin'.
After hearing volume 1, Jimmy McGriff called Paul "The Real Deal". This follow-up would do nothing to change his opinion! If anything, it would have had the late legend searching for even greater superlatives.
A program of '60s pop hits, Moran originals and a couple of standards make for a varied selection all of which fall easily into the hands of our smokin' gun who makes them his own which, in actual fact, four of them already are!
Think McDuff, McGriff, Groove Holmes, Jimmy Smith and you'll find Paul Moran being ranked alongside them. Add guitarists Price or Mullen, close your eyes and you're in a bar on the south side and I don't mean South Shields where Paul's talent first showed and where his father, Tommy Moran, is still a highly respected organist/sax/clarinet player. Paul also plays trumpet and flugel and I think it is on the latter instrument that he can be heard on his own Scallywag. Trumpet can be heard tightly muted on another one of his own pieces - Fried Chicken. This is perhaps the track of the album. The one where he goes for the knockout and gets it with two tracks to spare!
As well as doing his own thing, he is also MD for Van Morrison touring wherever the music takes them so, get along to the 606, Paul may be gone for awhile...
The album is launched at the 606 in London on April 18.
1:  Come Together, 2: Scallywag, 3: Moments, 4: One Note Samba, 5: Have You Seen Her? 6: Work Song, 7: Ruby Blues, 8: Blueberry Hill, 9: Fried Chicken, 10: Working in a Coal Mine, :11 Where or When.

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