Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

June

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest TBC.
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Friday, May 31, 2019

May Magic - Update of Gig/CD of the Year contenders.

CDs of the Month.
June
Tubby Hayes Quartet - Grits, Beans and Greens.
Scott Hamilton Quartet - Danish Ballads and More.
Eyal Vilner Big Band - Swing Out.
Judy Wexler - Crowded Heart.
May
Kim Cypher - Love Kim x
Alex Hitchcock - All Good Things
Jordon Dixon - On
Pete McGuinness Orchestra -Along For the ride.
Doug MacDonald - California Ride.
April
Anthony Strong - Me and my Radio.
Lauren White - Life in the Modern World.
Scott Robinson - Tenermore.
Q4 - Uphill Struggle.
March
Ben Crosland Quintet - the Ray Davies Songbook Volume II.
Kate Williams Four Plus Three Meets Georgia Mancio - Finding Home.
February.
Deborah Shulman - The Shakespeare Project.
Steve Fishwick & Alex Garnett - Marshian Timeslip (LP).
John Turville - Head First.
January.
Ernie Watts Quartet  - Home Light.
Chris Ingham - Stan.
Tommaso Starace - Harmony Less Quartet.
Beverley Church Hogan - Can't Get Out of This Mood.
-----
Gigs of the Month.
June
Time & Place - Paul Edis Quartet w. Jo Harrop & Vasilis Xenopoulos @ Sage Gateshead.
Strictly Smokin'Big Band @ Hoochie Coochie.
Emma Fisk's Hot Club du Nord @ Sage Gateshead.
Vasilis Xenopoulos w. Paul Edis Trio @ Ushaw College.
May
Kamasi Washington @ Sage Gateshead (21st)
Simon Spillett w. Paul Edis Trio @ Ushaw College (4th)
April
SSBB - A Great Day in Harlem @ Gosforth Civic Theatre (20th.
JR Trio @ Globe Jazz Bar (19th)
Alan Glen @ Globe Jazz Bar (4th)
March
Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar (18th)
Jam Session @ the Black Swan (19th).
Jason Isaacs @ Hoochie Coochie (24th).
February.
JazzMain @ The Globe (3rd).
Jam Session @ The Black Swan (5th)
Jam Session @ The Black Swan (19th).
Mark Nightingale w. SSBB @ Sage Gateshead.
January.
House of the Black Gardenia @ Prohibition Bar (19th).
Jam Session @ The Black Swan (22nd).
Jam Session @ The Black Swan (8th).

Lance.

2 comments :

Russell said...

March CD of the month: Tenement Jazz Band - New Orleans Wiggle

March gig of the month: Tenement Jazz Band (Prohibition Bar), Great North Big Band Jazz Festival, Bix Fest.

Patti said...

Ha - well now, great jazz minds think alike - I'm just playing New Orleans Wiggle, and it's certainly at the top of my top March CD's ....... plus, for gigs - Tenement Jazz Band at the Prohibition Bar in March, which was where I bought their CD, and from the Racine Bix Fest, Chicago's Fat Babies and the Shake 'em up Mamas from New Orleans. Racine is about 90 miles north of the Windy City, Chicago, and the whole area is full of jazz history.

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