Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18482 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 346 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 30 ) 80

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

Thu 07: Robert Finley @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50. Excellent US falsetto soul/blues voice.
Thu 07: ALT @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Rob Walker. Thu 07: Liam & Shayo @ The Globe , Newcastle. 8:00pm. £5.00. Liam Oliver (guitar), Shayo Oshodi (vocals).
Thu 07: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised, tel: 0191 200 1975.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 08: Alan Law Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Law, Mick Shoulder, John Bradford.
Fri 08: Giles Strong & Richard Herdman @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Guitar duo.
Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 6:00pm . Free. A Late Shows event.
Fri 08: Nigel Kennedy @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Line-up inc. Alec Dankworth.

Sat 09: The Vieux Carré Hot 4 'Festival of Blossom' @ Seaton Delaval Hall National Trust. 12:30 - 3.00pm. Free event (admission applies).
Sat 09: SH#RP Collective w. Lindsay Hannon @ Church of Holy Name, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00 (inc. a welcome drink). Advance booking essential. Bring own snacks, drinks to be purchased at ‘donations’ bar. All proceeds to charity. A Jesmond Community Festival event.
Sat 09: East Coast Swing Band @ Jubilee Hall, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £10.00.

Sun 10: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 12 noon. Free. Note earlier start.
Sun 10: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: The Chet Set @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

Mon 11: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 12: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: TBC @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Beaumont Hotel, Hexham - Feb 11

Ruth Lambert (vocals); Giles Strong (guitar); Paul Susans (double bass)
(Review by Russell)

The Beaumont Hotel is under new ownership and the first signs of change are now apparent. A ground floor corridor has become an off-limits building site with, no doubt, further renovations in the pipeline. What hasn't changed is the Monday evening jazz gig.

This week Ruth Lambert made a welcome return visit. Guitarist Giles Strong and bassist Paul Susans once again joined the Tyneside based vocalist to play a selection of GASbook numbers. Secret LoveDindiMy RomanceDetour Ahead...who could ask for anything more? Ms. Lambert's innate sense of swing gives her a distinct advantage over the many pretenders to her crown. At one point your correspondent mused: Ruth could swing the phonebook.


If taste is a prerequisite - when singing the GASbook it surely is - Lambert, Strong and Susans have it in abundance. Guitarist Strong makes it look easy - as accompanist and soloist - and Paul Susans' bass playing is up there with the best of them. A tasty trio indeed, 'S Wonderful, you could say. Time After Time (wonderful upper register swing from Lambert) then Luiz Bonfá's A Day in the Life of a Fool brought the first set to a close.

The Mordue Brewery's Workie Ticket occupied the bar as the Beaumont Hotel's many diners occupied the dining room. Our trio settled into a corner to enjoy a well-earned meal. Another pint of Workie Ticket, a biscuit - they were on the bar, so why not? - and the second set was upon us. 

Paul Susans' solo on Beautiful Love set the standard for the second set, vocalist Ruth Lambert followed up singing the beguiling verse to Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered and the bewitched audience (a few diehards there for the jazz plus the many diners) agreed There is no Greater Love. Jobim's Agua de Beber presented Giles Strong with another opportunity to show what he could do with timeless material and as the nine o'clock finish approached the trio went out on Angel Eyes, a restrained West Coast Blues (Ms. Lambert can wind it up when the mood takes), No Moon at All and There Will Never Be Another You.

Next week (Monday 18) the Dean Stockdale Trio will entertain the diehards and the diners. Why not join them? Seven o'clock 'til nine.   
Russell

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