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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Jordan Jackson @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.80 (inc. bf); £15.40 (inc. bf).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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.

Monday, February 04, 2019

Happy Birthday to our Number One Fan

Liz Harris - our Lady in York - has been a fan of BSH since day one almost 11 years ago and today (Feb. 4) is her birthday. In the attached photo, Liz is the stunning blonde between the guitars in the back row.

It's a family photo so, as you can see, they are/were a very musical/guitar family. In the front row, (l-r) are her late parents - her dad, Bob Goodall, was described in Van Wilson's history of popular music in York - Rhythm and Romance - as, "being as near to Django Reinhardt as you're ever going to get" and he was a regular on the York jazz/dance band scene in the post-war years. 
Liz's sons, Simon (yet to be born at the time of the pic which appeared in the local press) and Kevin, also played guitar from an early age. Simon and his wife Samantha are involved in music and theatre in the Brighton area whilst Kevin and his partner Sarah are directors of DIME which has music schools in Denver and Detroit.

Her siblings too were all musicians, Ron, until ill-health curtailed his activities was a well-respected bass guitarist in and around North Yorkshire - ask Jeremy McMurray or John Cowan - her youngest brother, David, to the right of Kevin, took to the six strings early - he also blows a mean harp.

Brother Les (back row, far right) is described by Liz as the greatest authority on Django she knows and he still practices daily. Norman, far left, who now lives in Canada began as a skiffler (the hairstyle may be a clue) and knocks out Rock Island Line as a party piece. 

Sister Irene, next to Norman, Liz tells me also sang around the family gigs - Fever her specialty.

As for Liz herself, she loves, Sinatra, Tormé, Bublé, Barbara Cook, Sondheim and, naturally, Django.

We wish her well.
Lance.

3 comments :

Liz said...

Oh thank you Lance, that is such a lovely tribute to my family, as the great Bard of Avon said " If music be the food of love, play on"
Bless you for your kind words, it means a lot to me, as does our long friendship.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday for yesterday Liz from Ann Alex

Liz said...

thank you Ann x

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