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

18548 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 412 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 19) 66

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

May

Tue 26: Noel Dennis Sextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00. A Miles Davis centenary concert (Davis b. 26. 5. 1926). Noel Dennis (trumpet); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums). SOLD OUT!
Tue 26: Lagos to Longbenton @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 27: Neighbourhood Watch + Rivkala @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00. Rivkala (solo).

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Miles Davis & His Favourite Musicians.
Thu 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 28: Bobby Rush @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. + bf. Veteran USA bluesman.
Thu 28: Squabble @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 28: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.

Sat 30: Giles Strong Quartet @ Langley Tracks, Langley on Tyne NE47 5LA. 5:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £1.50 bf.

Sun 31: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 31: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 31: Sinfonia of London: Tea Dance @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. Free. John Wilson ensemble performing on the concourse. Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George & Ira Gershwin & more.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76.
Sun 31: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 31: Ben Haskins Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

June

Mon 01: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Mon 01: CW Stoneking @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Blues, Americana.

Saturday, September 29, 2018

An Ode to BSH by Ann Alex

Music goes where words can’t go
And jazz goes even further.
BSH goes everywhere
Nothing is a bother.

By car, cab or metro-train,
In lightning, thunder or in rain,
We’re the gig invaders
Our chariot, the 27 Crusader.

I’m told to go and hear a band
No matter what else I have planned
And if they’re bad I daren’t say
Bad is what’s meant when we say it’s okay.

A work in progress they can be
Which means they may get better
Or, in their own inimitable way,
Which means they won’t get better.

But if the band is up for the gig
Here in the northeast
I’ll write, ’of thee I dig’
And on the music I will feast.
-----

Nice Work If You Can Get It

We get paid in CDs and promises
Lance says there’ll be more to come
Does he think us doubting Thomas’
Are really that xxxxxxx dumb?

Ten percent rise he says
Smiling and tipping his hat
But ten percent of nothing
Won’t pay the mortgage on my flat.
-----

What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?

Gig reviews must come the very next day
CDs not much later
If I dared to take a holiday
I’d be branded as a traitor.

Come Stormy Weather, Rain Or Shine
Or midst the Leaves of Autumn
Just don’t mention Summertime
It could lead to your post-mortem.
-----  
Oh Lady Be Good

So here’s to all at Bebop Spoken Here
With water, wine and hand-pulled beer.
To Lance, Russell and the Steves - H and T
Debra and Jerry and Hugh and Me.

To comments from Patti and Liz of York
And, of course, Ken Drew.
His pictures paint a 1000 words
Or more, to give him his due.

And not forgetting Tony Eales
He’s indirectly quoted
From the Wear down to the Tees
He rarely goes unnoticed.

There’s Dave B and JC
And Colin in Hong Kong.
Warren at Hoochie Coochie
Now don’t get me wrong.

We must also toast the players
Them that verily doth blow
The singers and the swingers
Who put on the evening’s show.

They are the ones who deserve to be heard
Aspiring to be Ella, Trane or Bird
Without them, we, the bloggers,
Would surely be lost for words.

We’re always looking for people
To write about the jazz
And if you don’t want to…
Well You Needn’t!

Ann Alex (with additional poetic licence from Lance).

(Ann and I have had a literary relationship going back many years to when I joined a writers' group where Ann was a prominent member and coordinator - dotting my I’s and crossing my t’s as required – something Russell does now. – Lance) 

3 comments :

Patti said...

Ann - this is a wonderful tribute to BSH, and Lance ......

Liz said...

Wow Ann, that is genius, well done!

Anonymous said...

Thank you Liz and Patti, you've both commented, as it says in the poem! Lance is being modest about his contribution, which was a lot, although I did the 1st draft and used the song titles. I thought it was a good time to write this poem just when we're nominated for an award. Ann

Blog Archive