Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

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: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
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.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00. Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 13: Joe Steels @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 13: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Fri 13: Tom Remon & John Moriarty @ The Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, Sunderland SR1 3QJ. 7:00pm. £10.00 + £1.00 bf.

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

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

CD Review: Scottish National Jazz Orchestra – Sweet Sister Suite

(Review by Russell).
The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra’s director Tommy Smith commissioned the late Kenny Wheeler to write a suite which, some twenty years on, has been recorded by the seventeen-piece big band. Joining the all-star line-up on this Spartacus Records’ album is Laura Jurd (trumpet) and Irini Arabatzi (voice).
During a long career Wheeler often worked with vocalists and the use of the term ‘voice’ best describes Irini Arabatzi’s instrument alongside the trumpet and flugelhorn work of Laura Jurd. The suite comprises eight parts and throughout the fifty-seven or so minutes of the recording there is a fine balance between the two guest instrumentalists and the regular band. Such is the quality of Scotland’s premier orchestra that the collective contribution is never less than magnificent.  

Kenny Wheeler’s compositions must be a joy to perform. The pieces flow gracefully, Arabatzi’s voice a constant presence, dancing in and out of sections, complementing Jurd’s assured playing The soloists within the orchestra step up from time to time; Jurd leading the way on Sweet Sister followed variously by band MD Smith (Keeper of the Light), the three solo parts by pianist Pete Johnstone, guitarist Rob Luft and Jurd on Worlds Apart through to the penultimate track (Twilight Chant) featuring Smith and the SNJO’s guests Jurd and Arabatzi.
Sweet Sister Suite is the sort of album that reveals more, then more again, on repeated listening. The legacy of Kenny Wheeler will live on in the everyday working lives of musicians in Scotland and around the world. This latest recording by the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra will further the cause of putting before the public the music of Kenny Wheeler.    
Russell.   

Sweet Sister Suite by the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra is available now on Spartacus Records (cat. No. STS026).

SNJO: Martin Kershaw, Paul Towndrow, Konrad Wiszniewski, Tommy Smith, Bill Fleming (saxophones); Tom Walsh, Sean Gibbs, Tom MacNiven; Lorne Cowieson (trumpets); Chris Grieve, Phil O’Malley, Liam Shortall, Michael Owers (trombones); Pete Johnstone (piano); Rob Luft (guitar); Calum Gourlay (bass); Alyn Cosker (drums) + Laura Jurd (trumpet, flugelhorn); Irini Arabatzi (voice). 
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