Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,086 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 950 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Nov. 7) 20.

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

November

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 11: Plague Doctors Cure All + Noonward @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: JANE @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 12: MoonMot + Jack Banjo’s Snackwall @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 12: Ratio: Swingin’ Through the Decades @ The Forum, Darlington. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. A charity fundraiser.
Thu 12: Look Left @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Thu 12: Michael Woods @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Acoustic blues.

Fri 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Giles Strong (guitar); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 13: Lapwing Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Richard Herdman, Nick Bagnell, Paula Whitty.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Hexham Lantern Parade, Bandstand, Sele, Hexham. 6:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Sharp Collective @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm.
Fri 13: East Coast Swing Band @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 13: Guisborough Big Band @ Saltburn Golf Club. 7:30pm. Tickets: £15.00 (inc. pie & peas

Sat 14: Lianne Carroll: Jazz Vocal Weekend Workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 9:30am-5:00pm. £95.00. Day 1/2. SOLD OUT!
Sat 14: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 14: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf); £11.00 concs (inc. bf).
Sat 14: Red Kites Jazz @ Staiths Café, Gateshead. 7:00pm.
Sat 14: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Tweed Gallery, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Monday, January 28, 2019

Musicians Unlimited @ The Park Inn, Hartlepool - Jan 27

(Review by Russell).

A bitterly cold wind blew through Hartlepool this afternoon. Head down, bent double, Scott of the Antarctic surely didn't encounter conditions such as these. The Park Inn came into view, a welcome sight if ever there was one. 

Mick Donnelly's Musicians Unlimited were busy setting up as the regulars arrived to claim their usual seats. A pint of Marston's 61 Deep Pale Ale (3.8) looked the pick and so it proved...
Frank Loesser's Brotherhood of Man opened the programme with ace trumpeters Kevin Eland and Bill Watson laying down early markers. Teesside's premier big band had a number of big hitters in the ranks with all sections sounding just fine as several featured soloists stepped up to the plate. It had been a while since Bebop Spoken Here had caught up with Mick Donnelly's outfit and on this Sunday afternoon a new name - new to BSH - made a big impression. Vocalist Jan Spencelayh sang Don't Know Why. A lower register, measured delivery, Jan is one to hear again, that's for sure! 
MD Donnelly leafed through the pad (seemingly several hundred numbers in a well-thumbed book!) and plucked out Gershwin - Someone to Watch Over Me featuring our talented vocalist - and a couple from Cole Porter - My Heart Belongs to Daddy and You Do Something to Me - Jan featuring once more, with Mark Toomey, playing clarinet, sharing the limelight on the latter. 

Bill Watson impressed, as did 'bone man Keith Norris, on the second set opener Jersey Bounce (a war-time smash hit for Benny Goodman). Old Devil Moon sang Jan - great stuff! - followed by some serious blowing on High Maintenance as Mick Shoulder swapped bull fiddle for electric bass, Toomey and Watson once more caught the ear as Sue Ferris, baritone sax, and Peter Morgan, bass trombone, charted a safe passage through Gordon Goodwin's turbulent big band number. And that was about it, but not quite. MD Mick Donnelly remarked that it had been about a year since the band last played One O'clock Jump. This was terrific stuff, it had been worth the wait! The Park Inn, Hartlepool, Sundays, one o'clock, Musicians Unlimited...it all adds up to a canny day out.   
Russell. 
Musicians Unlimited: Mick Donnelly MD; Kevin Eland, Bill Watson, Bob Temple, Alan Catherall (trumpets); Keith Norris, Caroline Norris, Helen Grainger, Peter Morgan (trombones); Josh Bentham, Dan Johnson, Mark Toomey, Barbara Fagan, Sue Ferris (reeds); Ian Bosworth (guitar); Gary Hadley (keyboards); Mick Shoulder (double bass, bass guitar); John Bradford (drums); Ernie Jackson (percussion); Jan Spencelayh (vocals)
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1 comment :

Unknown said...

Followed Mick for years.We are fortunate in having this band in Hartlepool.Only jazz available unfortunately.

Tuesday, January 29, 2019 3:21:00 pm

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