Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

September.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Tue 22: ???

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 24: Arun Ghosh @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £21.05. (£22.00. on the door). A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 24: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 25: Mark Williams Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Get the Blessing + Dilettante @ The Cluny (Cluny 2), Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00. + bf. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 25: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 26: Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter: Play Mary Lou Williams @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 26: John Pope Quintet + Urvashi @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.40. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Tuesday, November 06, 2018

Mike Durham's Classic Jazz Party 2018 @ Village Hotel, Newcastle - Nov 2 (afternoon)

Friday, day one proper of the annual festival, got underway with the now familiar Tribute to Mike. Keith Nichols, one of Mike Durham's key allies over many years, led the session with the help of Enrico Tomasso (the trumpeter would be announced as winner of the trumpet category in this year's British Jazz Awards the day after the festival ended), genial American 'bone man Jim Fryer,  festival favourite Matthias Seuffert, reeds, Spats Langham playing guitar and banjo, Frenchman Henry Lemaire playing string bass, and one of the many vituoso percussionists at this 2018 gathering, Nick Ward. 

Riverboat Shuffle rooted this tribute in New Orleans. Up a Lazy River then Spats singing and playing guitar on the Elsie Carlisle-inspired You Got Me Crying Again and the closing number, The Song Has Ended But the Melody Lingers On. 

Teschemacher and Bechet, two icons of the clarinet; first Chicago's Austin High School Gang with the focus on 'Tesch', then Bechet in Europe with Ellington, the latter featuring the singular talent that is Ewan Bleach. The 'Forgotten Saxophone Player' Jack Pettis finally took his posthumous turn in the spotlight courtesy of Michael McQuaid and local star, violinist Emma Fisk, led a Joe Venuti-Eddie Lang/Grappelli-Reinhardt set with 'her Boys' - Spats Langham and Henry Llemaire as the legendary guitarists, supported by Martin Litton, piano, and perhaps the weekend's busiest musician, Malcolm Sked, on string bass. Emma, placed third in the British Jazz Awards' Miscellaneous category, impressed with her to-be-expected flawless performance. 

Fats on Film - Stormy Weather looked at Fats Waller's rare celluloid appearances. Jeff Barnhart is a real entertainer and a band comprising the likes of Duke Heitger, Josh Duffee and Nicolle Rochelle couldn't go far wrong and it didn't. 

Drummer Duffee remained on the stand to close the afternoon session with Jean Goldkette - After Bix (1928-29). Hot jazz dispensed in hot, hot style by the erudite Duffee and his band which included fellow Americans Mike Davis and Andy Schumm, trumpets, and New Orleans pianist David Boeddinghaus. Out front on the floor, three familiar faces to north east audiences - the string players Emma Fisk, Dawn Allen and Kay Usher - did the region proud.      
Russell   
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