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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

Tue 23: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 23: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Sat 27: OUTRI @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £13.01. 1:00-1:45pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Richardson & Westgarth Sport & Social Club, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. Note change of venue.
Sat 27: House of the Black Gardenia + Magpies of Swing @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 2:15-3:15pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 3:45-4:45pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Rory Ingham @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 5:30-6:30pm. £19.51. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Ingham w. Dean Stockdale, Ian Paterson, Dave McKeague.
Sat 27: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 27: Laura Jurd @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £26.00. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Sat 27: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

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

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Remember when...

Hi Lance, just recalled a visit to Gateshead Odeon in the early 1950's to see Nat King Cole & the Johnny Dankworth band, Great night, made better by finding out that one of my  childhood friends was there, having married one of Dankworth’s trumpet players so I got to meet them all after the concert. Just wondered if any of your readers remember the Sunday night concerts of those days?
Tommy Henderson

6 comments :

Lance said...

Tommy, who could forget those Sunday nights at Newcastle Odeon or the Essoldo?
I missed Nat King Cole at Gateshead - I either left it too late and it was sold out or else my folks wouldn't give me the money for a ticket. I think I was still at school and the seats were quite expensive.
At a more mundane level in Newcastle - it was where I came in. The good burghers of Newcastle decreed that films on a Sunday violated the Sabbath whereas jazz bands didn't! So, at the Odeon you could hear such as the Ted Heath and Jack Parnell big bands whilst, across town, at the Essoldo, smaller groups like Mick Mulligan, The Saints, Crane River and other trad bands held sway.
Happy days!

Tommy Henderson said...

Happy days indeed Lance, I saw Ted Heath at the Odeon, Vic Lewis Chris Barber,& even Little Richard at the Essoldo, Lionel Hampton & Count Basie at the City Hall, And the Modern Jazz Quartet at the Downbeat Club. They called into Greys Club a few years later to say hello & sit in with my group. nice memories!

Liz said...

I saw Nat King Cole at the Rialto in York, as well as all the big bands. It was owned by Jack Prendergast ( John Barry's dad) he was amazing,he brought all the big stuff to little old York. At the King Cole gig, I remember him playing " Rambling Rose" honestly , you could have heard a pin drop. Similarly when Ted Heath came on one of his many visits, Lita Roza was singing one of her smokey numbers, and my (then) boyfriend called out "Daddy buy me that for Christmas!" of course, it brought the house down!

Liz said...

Remembering Grey's Club in Newcastle. On one of my visits to stay with my aunt in Hebburn in the 60's, we went to see the late wonderful Marian Montgomery, Laurie Holloway's wife.

Tommy Henderson said...

Hi Liz, The lovely Marian Montgomery brought Laurie Hollaway with her for her weeks cabaret at Greys Club, and my pianist Kenny Morell went on vibes, We had a marvellous week with them! a bit like the week Cleo Lane was on, Johnny Dankworth came up with her, On the first night we had most of the Count Basie band in the audience along with her friend Annie Ross cheering her on. What a night for the Jazz loving audience! I'll never forget it!

Liz said...

Wonderful Tommy. I remember there was standing room only the night we were there, and we actually sat on the floor for Marian's set,( literally at her feet!) so informal, we have seen/heard the best of times...

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