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

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.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. 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

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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