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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 2025).

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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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

Thursday, October 04, 2018

Duende Jazz Bar in Thessaloniki

(Report by Neil Chalmers).
I have just returned from Thessaloniki in Greece and had the privilege to spend a couple of nights at the Duende Jazz Bar on Kalapothaki Street just up from the promenade. It is an excellent little club and the music was first class provided on the first night by the house band so to speak, the Duende Jazz Orchestra, a very tight 5 piece with an absolutely first-rate Piano player.
The whole place was really appreciative of the numbers the guys played and no more so than the man tending bar and the young lady who seemed to be hosting the evening.
Her English was far superior to the odd words of Greek I had acquired and we had a nice chat after the band had finished. She was asking my wife and myself what started our interest in jazz, which in essence came from hearing old recordings my parents played when I was at an early age.
My wife's father was a true music aficionado and developed my appreciation of all things jazz from the day I married his daughter. 

The lady was clearly a lover of jazz and we chatted for some time. I mentioned attending the Jazz Café in Newcastle's Pink Lane with a shout out for the eccentric and sorely missed Keith Crombie and how he had kept interest in jazz going for a number of years at "The Caff".
After the band had packed up, the club continued to play a mix of new songs and standards into the wee small hours.

The lady kept popping back to talk to us, I guess English fans are a rarity in the club, most people land at Thessaloniki airport and head for Khalkidhiki. She asked me the age-old fundamentally difficult question of if I had a choice of a song that could be played in the club what would it be?
I could have picked any number of artists and songs but opted for perhaps the strange choice of Louis Jordan.
Within 5 minutes, the PA was blaring out Let the Good Times Roll!

Unfortunately it didn't stop there as track after track from his greatest hits boomed out. Clearly, for the majority of people in there, this was not the acceptable face of jazz and sadly it was not long until my wife and I plus the staff were the only people in the place. To be fair the band had concluded their set and people were wending their way home for a few hours of sleep before work, well that's my interpretation.
The main purpose of writing was to ask you to perhaps give a shout out for this cracking little club and their house band in the perhaps slim chance that some of your followers might visit Thessaloniki and go along for a really great night out.
The club has a Facebook page and there are videos of the band on there as a little taster. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you in advance for reading my meandering thoughts and for perhaps offering a little publicity to this little gem of a club.
Neil Chalmers.

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