Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

From This Moment On

June

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest TBC.
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Jazz Social @ Charts, Newcastle - July 22

Stuart Collingwood (piano); Neil Harland (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums)
(Review by Russell)
After a delay, it's up and running. The scheduled opening of Charts on the Quayside was put back a week or two and when it finally opened its doors the first of a new weekly (Sunday) jam session - Jazz Social - took place last week. Yesterday, BSH managed to get along to the second installment and it has to be said the former Flynn's public house has been transformed into a comfortable, if not swanky, cafe/bar boasting panoramic views across the Tyne to Sage Gateshead. 
Newcastle now hosts no fewer than two weekly sessions - Charts on Newcastle Quayside and Dave Weisser's long-running 'workshop' at the Globe - plus the Jazz Café's twice-monthly hothouse evenings, the Jazz Co-op's Sunday afternoon sessions twice a month and Jesmond's Dun Cow on Wednesdays twice monthly. Here at Charts, from four o'clock through to seven, the house trio played three sets. This week pianist Stu Collingwood was joined by bassist Neil Harland and drummer Matt MacKellar. A new jam session can take time to bed in, however, this one was about to go off with a bang! 

The sitters-in were absent - it'll take time - but this didn't deter Stu, Neil and Matt from having a good time playing a selection of good tunes. I Thought About You (Matt soloing), Take Five (Matt's hand drumming), St Thomas (Neil playing arco bass throughout), a knock out drum solo on Four (Stu happy to let young Matt show what he is capable of), here's your invitation... get along next week (July 29) to show what you can do.      

During one of two intervals a sudden, loud bang - make that a loud BANG! - made some spill their drinks and one or two enjoying a late afternoon slumber to sit bolt upright! Yes, a fuse blew, then blew again as staff scurried around looking in cupboards, checking fuse boxes. As Stu returned to his keyboard...BANG!...lights out! Would there be an unexpected early finish to this week's Jazz Social? Thankfully full power would soon be restored and the trio picked up where they left off. Agua de Beber, Ain't No Sunshine with Stu conjuring a 70s soul sound from his Roland 300 and, as your scribe was about to depart (a fourth gig of the day beckoned), perhaps the tune of the afternoon - I Got Rhythm - positively flew with Matt's scintillating brushwork setting it up. Jazz Social, Charts, four o'clock Sundays, sit-in or simply sit back and listen and be prepared, things could well go with a bang!
Russell.               
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