Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Jazz Classics with Rivkala @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Rivkala (vocals); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Thu 21: 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 22: Paul Skerritt @ Market Place, Durham. From 12 noon. Free. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Fri 22: Paul Edis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00. Edis, Andy Champion, Steve Hanley.
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 22: Paul Edis Trio @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £TBC. Edis, Andy Champion, Steve Hanley.

Sat 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall. 2:00pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 23: Paul Edis @ Core Music, Gilesgate, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00. A Core Music fundraiser, Hexham Jazz Weekender Day/Weekend ticket not applicable. Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sat 23: Blyth Big Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 6:30pm. £9.00., £5.00.
Sat 23: Paul Edis & Friends @ Musicwonders, Church Chare, Chester-le-Street. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £15.00. www.musicwonders.org. BYOB. SOLD OUT!
Sat 23: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Queen’s Hall Hexham. 7:00pm. £13.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sat 23: TC & the Groove Family + Lagos to Longbenton @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sat 23: Davina & the Vagabonds @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £22.00. + £1.50 bf.
Sat 23: Celebrating Wes Montgomery @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 8:15pm. £14.00., £12.00. Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sat 23: Chris Coull’s Porgy & Bess @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 9:30pm. £16.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.

Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 24: SwanNek @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £11.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sun 24: Salty Dog @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free. Donations.
Sun 24: Ben Crosland’s Threeway @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. £13.50 (inc. bf). Line-up inc. Steve Waterman. Hexham Jazz Weekender.
Sun 24: Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Street Brass Band Bonanza: The Fanfare + Storytellers + Tenth Avenue Band @ The Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £10.00., £8.00.
Sun 24: Charlie Parr @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50. Blues. Jumpin’ Hot Club.
Sun 24: Olly Styles Experience @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.
Sun 24: Finn-Keeble Group @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 8:15pm. £13.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender. Feat. Jamil Sheriff.
Sun 24: Modern Vikings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 9:30pm. £16.50 (inc. bf). Hexham Jazz Weekender.

Mon 25: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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).

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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