Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 742 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 4.) 21.

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

September.

Mon 07: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 08: Seijiro Murayama & Jean-Luc Guionnet @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Warwick St., Newcastle, NE2 1BB. 7.00pm. £10.00 (advance); £12.00 (on door); £.15.00 (solidarity).
Tue 08: SH#RP Collective @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 08: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: 58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club. 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: NONUNONU @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE. Excellent trio.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Jacenaite All Crew @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 10: Emma Rawicz INKYRA @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.30. Sage Two. Line-up: Emma Rawicz (sax); Scottie Thompson (piano, keyboards, synth); David Preston (guitar); Kevin Glasgow (bass guitar); Jack Thomas (drums).

Fri 11: Esther Bennett @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £10.00. Esther Bennett (vocals); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass).
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £14.09 (inc. bf).

Sat 12: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 12: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26 (inc. bf).

Sun 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: King Bees @ Shape Patisserie, Darlington. 3:00pm. Free. Duo (Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor). A Rhythm & Blues Fringe event. Blues excellence.
Sun 13: Alligator Gumbo @ The Cluny. 5:00pm. £17.15.; £11.43; £5.72.
Sun 13: Eternal Triangle + Andy Champion @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Friday, August 03, 2018

Vermont Big Band in Cullercoats

This poster was spotted whilst trawling the mean streets of Cullercoats. It was displayed inside the Crescendo Club - a lunchtime jazz joint overlooking the sea. Outside, broads in bikinis were strutting their stuff prior to dipping their toes in the briny.
Inside, an assortment of jazz guys was blowing as if there were no tomorrow and, for some, maybe there wasn't. Most of the broads in here were broader and weren't wearing bikinis. Maybe they had, once, a long time ago. Still, the music was good, Capone would have liked it, the booze was cheap and came from one of the local bootleg breweries.
I asked around, I got plenty of answers and a few phone numbers but not the answers I was looking for - I kept the phone numbers for a rainy day.
Nobody knew who this Vermont Big Band was. I wondered if I'd have to take a flight to New England. I hoped not, the way business has been lately I couldn't buy a ticket to Old England.
Then I had this idea - Lance! The coolest cat on the planet or maybe it should read that he has the coolest cat on the planet? Yup, if L and that slinky feline Daphne couldn't come up with the answer then no one could.
An advert on Lance's Bebop Spoken Here blog would surely provide the answer to the question - Who are the Vermont Big Band?
Mike Hammer.

1 comment :

Chris Kaberry said...

Hi "Mike Hammer" the ‘Vermont Big Band’ is actually my band and it’s been going 16 years... it’s part of North Tyneside Music Service, but I did a summer ‘adults only’ gig on Sat night at CCC... we’re doing another one on 13th October. We had an excellent gig, I conduct... I don’t play. For the record, the band was: Felicity Ripley, Ben Gibbon (altos); Peter Elliott, Alan Marshall (tenors); Russell Rogers (baritone). Mike Graham, Wendy Innes, Steve Crockett, Bob Harrison, Kate Brown (trumpets). Chris Kurji-Smith, Colin Winship (trombones); Michael Mather (drums); James Thompson (Bass); Andy Mather (Guitar); Phil Noble (keys) and on vocals, the one and only Beth Tippins.
We did 15 vocals and 4 instrumentals on Sat.
Next time it is a 40’s style night. We’ll do 8/9 vocals and the rest instrumentals.
So, the secret is out!

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