Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Thu 08: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones of 1976.

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, 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

Monday, June 11, 2018

Zbigniew Namyslowski Quintet

Back in 1964, Zbigniew Namyslowski set Newcastle on fire after a memorable session at the New Orleans Club. I wasn't actually there but the number of people 'of a certain age' who have, over the years, waxed eloquent about it (substitute 'waxed eloquent' with raved) makes me think I had been there!. Listening to the album, Lola, recorded around that time makes me realise I was there, albeit in spirit rather than in person.
Let's move forward some 54 years to the July, 2018, issue of DownBeat where we discover a mention, if not a review, of the aforementioned alto player who actually released a newly recorded album last year - Polish Jazz--Yes! Warner Music is the company that released the disc and, if it is half as good as Lola then seek it out. Who knows, it might even be better! 
Lance.

2 comments :

Tomasz Furmanek (on F/b) said...

Wow! Zbigniew Namyslowski is amazing, a true giant and legend of Polish jazz! He represents all that's best in Polish jazz, and in jazz generally!! :)

Anonymous said...

Hello Lance
I think I've mentioned before, I was at this memorable session. Never heard anything quite like it. Fantastic. My other main recollection of the New Orleans Club is the regular session of a quartet fronted by a very modern tenor sax player, Jeff Hedley. I think Bill Harper was in the band, Joe Young on guitar and I can't remember the bass player - do you know? I think they played a lot of Jeff's original compositions. I've often wondered what became of Jeff Hedley. I think someone said, quite a while back, that he worked at DHSS, Longbenton. Good memories of those heady days. New Orleans Club on Forth Bank and Club Agogo up on Percy Street. There I remember Alex Harvey Soul Band and Spencer Davis Group (with the amazing 17 year old Steve Winwood) in particular.
Roly


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