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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 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

17972 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 293 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (April 22).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

Sat 26: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington. 12 noon. Free (donations).
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

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, August 22, 2018

Jam Session @ The Jazz Café - August 21

(Review by Lance).
The last of the summer jam at 'The Caff' - back again on Sept. 11. Last, but certainly not least, the greatest free show in town didn't let the side down and already folks are getting impatient waiting for the start of the new season. 
As ever, the trio set the pace and, with Paul Edis at the house upright it was quite a pace. I Hear a Rhapsody; a Tatumesque intro to Tea For Two and some locked hands chording on September in the Rain showed us why this Paul (there were three of them here tonight) is held in such high regard. With him all the way, the Grainger Paul and Walker, Rob, kept things buoyant in readiness for the jammers who were massing at the bar and primed for action.
First up was Abbie Finn and Neville Hartley. Abbie, fresh from her session at the Globe last Saturday slotted in well behind Neville who delighted the crowd with Tangerine and Pennies From Heaven. The Grainger Paul quipped that with a name like Hartley a jam session was home from home for him (or words to that effect!)
The frontline changed and it was the turn of Ray Johnson and George Sykes to offer Love For Sale and On the Sunny Side of the Street. Grainger reminded us of how, back in the day, love was on sale albeit not on the sunny side of Pink Lane. Ah, the memories...
Rob returned for You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to and then Niffi delivered an ultimatum - Love me or Leave me. It must have been the latter option that was taken up as she then moaned stridently. I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues.
All change and now it was time for the younger set to go East of the Sun. Ben Lawrence, John Pope, James Metcalf and Francis Tulip linked up with Rob Walker for what was a somewhat chaotic rendition and, despite the quality of the musicians, it was one of the more forgettable moments of the evening.
A degree of stability returned when Callum Mellis stepped up for a lyrical interpretation of Misty.
The arrival of David Gray meant the blue touchpaper was about to be lit and it duly was in the company of Sykes, the two Pauls and Abbie.
On Green Dolphin Street and Equinox were dealt with explosively before Sykes gave way to Paul number 3 - Gowland that is. Soprano and trombone, may not be your everyday frontline but they gelled on I'll Remember April and I Can't Get Started.
It doesn't get much better than this!
Photos.
Lance.
Paul Grainger (bass); Paul Edis (piano); Rob Walker (drums) + Neville Hartley (trombone); Abbie Finn (drums); George Sykes (tenor); Ray Johnson (trumpet); Niffi Osiyemi (vocal); Francis Tulip (guitar); Ben Lawrence (piano); John Pope (bass); James Metcalf/Callum Mellis (flugel); David Gray (trombone); Paul Gowland (soprano).

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