Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 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

18699 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 573 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 11) 27

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

July

Tue 14: Vieux Carre Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £15.00 (reservations: 0191 237 3697). ‘July Jazz Barbecue!’
Tue 14: Crook Little Brass Bash @ Crook Community Centre. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Tue 14: Barnard Castle Little Brass Bash @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Tue 14: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Tickets from Tully’s, Rothbury. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Tue 14: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Willington Big Brass Bash @ Town Park, Willington. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Wed 15: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Café Needle’s Eye, Promenade, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea NE64 6XE. 6:00pm. Free. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 15: Side Café Orkestar @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.00 (£11.00. adv.); £12.00 concs (£8.00. concs adv.).

Thu 16: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 16: Spennymoor Big Brash Bash @ Jubilee Park, Spennymoor. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Thu 16: Coxhoe Little Brass Bash @ Village Green (Pit Wheel). 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Thu 16: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Lollo Rosso, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Free. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Thu 16: Stevie Jay Duo @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Julija Jacenaite & Steve Glendinning.
Thu 16: DK Harrell @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf. USA blues.
Thu 16: 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 17: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 17: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 17: Seaham Big Brass Bash @ Terrace Green, Seaham. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Fri 17: Newton Aycliffe Big Brass Bash @ Town Park, Newton Aycliffe. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Fri 17: Ray Stubbs R&B Allstars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 17: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm.
Fri 17: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Repas 7 by Night, Berwick. 8:00pm. Free. Lollo Rosso, Morpeth. 8:00pm. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.

Sat 18: Streets of Brass @ Market Place, Durham City. 10:00am-4:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Sat 18: Brass Boat Cruise @ Boathouse, Elvet Bridge Jetty, Durham City. Departures at 10:30am, 12 noon, 1:30pm, 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £5.00 (all prices + bf). Durham Brass Festival. Various bands.
Sat 18: Party in the Park @ Wharton Park, Durham City. 5:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands. Entrance o/s Durham Railway Station (Northbound platform).
Sat 18: Zoë Gilby & Dean Stockdale @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm.
Sat 18: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00.
Sat 18: Tyne Valley Big Band + Revolutionaires @ Pelton Community Centre. 7:00pm. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sat 18: Dale Storr @ The Straw Yard, The Barracks, Berwick. 7:30pm. £15.38. Solo piano.
Sat 18: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Red Lion Inn, Alnmouth. 8:30pm. Free. Lollo Rosso, Morpeth. 8:00pm. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.

Sun 19: Brass Boat Cruise @ Boathouse, Elvet Bridge Jetty, Durham City. Departures at 10:30am, 12 noon, 1:30pm, 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £5.00 (all prices + bf). Durham Brass Festival. Various bands.
Sun 19: Jacob Egglestone Trio @ The Bandstand, The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free.
Sun 19: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bishop Auckland Town hall. 2:00pm. £7.00 (inc. bf). A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sun 19: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 19: Michael Young Trio @ Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 19: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 19: SwanNek @ The Bandstand, The Sele, Hexham. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Twelve 06, High St., Newbiggin-by-the-Sea NE64 6DR. 3:00pm. Free. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sun 19: Dale Storr: The Sounds of New Orleans @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Solo piano. POSTPONED!

Mon 20: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 20: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tuesday, October 02, 2018

Classic Swing + Guests @ The Ship, Monkseaton - Oct. 2

Olive Rudd (vocals); Bob Wade (trumpet/flugel); Jim McBriarty (tenor); Don Fairley (trombone); Colin Haikney (piano); Alan Rudd (bass); Tommy Graham (drums) + Gordon Solomon (trombone); Cormac Loane (alto saxophone).
(Review by John T) 
There are two things that attract me to The Ship on a Tuesday afternoon.
Firstly this quality band who always play a varied and interesting programme sending you home happy following an uplifting performance
Secondly, something surprising frequently happens.  
Classic Swing played the first set with vocals from Olive and good solos all-round. Gordon Solomon and a guy with an alto case arrived in time for the second set. The alto player was announced as Cormac from Birmingham. I can only remember one guy of that name and it was, as I suspected, Cormac Loane from the 1970s Newcastle  Big Band. Gordon and Cormac were featured on several numbers with the rhythm section. The rest of the set featured a 5pc frontline + Olive on occasions. Not heard anything so good for a long time!!

Cormac said he would try and make it to the Elephant to sit in with Classic Swing tomorrow night. Here's hoping!

How many people are still around from that big band?:-
Andy Hudson (electric piano), Sting (electric bass), Kevin Healey (guitar), Don Eddy (drums), Jackie Denton (drums), John Pearce (trumpet), Pete Volpe (trumpet), David Lord (trumpet), Colin Aitchison (trumpet), Malcolm Hutton (trumpet), Alf Parker (trumpet), Aldo Bertorelli (trumpet), Robert Tiplady (trumpet), Graham Sheppard (baritone saxophone), Pat Crumly (alto saxophone), Cormac Loane (alto saxophone), Nigel Stanger (tenor saxophone), Charlie Carmichael (tenor saxophone), Steve Langdon (tenor saxophone), Alistair Atkinson (tenor saxophone), Jeff Hedley (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone), Gordon Solomon (trombone), Brian Chester (trombone), Mike Walsh (trombone), Ronnie McLean (trombone).
John T.

4 comments :

Lance said...

Well John, I'm sorry I missed that session. In answer to your query as to how many of the Newcastle Big Band members are still around - well there are a few including several you didn't mention, obviously having taken the info from the LP the band made over 40 years ago!.
Those who are still around, and not mentioned, include Ian Heslop (bass), Ian Forbes (drums), Germaine Stanger (vocals), George MacDonald (alto/clarinet), Laurie Rangecroft (tenor and now baritone w. SSBB), Terry Ellis and John Hedley (guitars) and me (tenor). Other ones who are no longer with us and who missed the cut include Bill Shaw/Marshall Walker (drums), Trevor Johnson (saxes), Bobby Carr, Mike Gilby (trumpets).
Of the others: John Pearce, Alf Parker, Jackie Denton, Don Eddy, Nigel Stanger, Charlie Carmichael, Graham Sheppard, Pat Crumley, Ken Gibson (aka Geno Binks!) are also gone - there's probably more.
Does anyone have info on the whereabouts of Bob King or Jeff Hedley?

Patti said...

Sadly, Bob King died a couple of years ago. He and wife, Dorothy, had been living out there for a few years - quietly growing tomatoes in the sunshine. Before this, Bob was front row in local band, the West Jesmond Rhythm Kings - playing fine, tail gating trombone, alongside Mike, trumpet, and Derek Fleck, clarinet and saxes - now they're all playing in that perpetual celestial jam session. Bob was previously Head of Arts at Kings School in Tynemouth - he trained as a potter, and worked with Bernard Leach in Cornwall. I'm not sure where this fitted with his tenure in the Newcastle Big Band - as far as I know, Bob had left it before Brian Chester joined. Incidentally, Brian was also a long time member of the WJRK's - on piano, and trombone when Bob left.

Patti said...

Sorry, I should have said out there - in Spain! That's where Bob and Dorothy retired to ........

Lance said...

Bob was a very early member of NBB. Others from that period of whom I'd be interested to hear from/about are Andy Gibb (trumpet); Andy Hollis (trumpet/flute); a trombone player Humphery?
I think they were medical students as so many student musicians seem to be both then and now.
Andy Hollis, I think, went to Russia...
Lynn Weems, who lived in Muggleswick near The Truscotts, had played alto with Ivy Benson. There were a lot of players passed through that band. It wasn't unusual to have two drummers flailing away at opposite ends of the stage. As this was usually Don Eddy and Jackie Denton, or occasionally Billy Young and Ian Forbes the drive was quite amazing!
At the San Sebastian Jazz Festival where the band was a frequent visitor, I think Jackie Denton became adopted by the local Basque community - at the time, both were good at dropping bombs!

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