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.

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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