DECEMBER 2025
Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. special guest Donna Hewitt (sax, clarinet).
Sun 07: Finn-Keeble Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Ruth Lambert.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Jason Isaacs Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 5:15pm (4:00pm doors). £21.50 (inc. bf).
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Support set from Play More Jazz! course participants. Note earlier start.
Mon 08: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Tue 09: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm
Wed 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 10: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Mike Lindup Jazz Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £26.50 (inc. bf). Lindup, Yolanda Charles (bass), John Sam (drums).
Wed 10: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Thu 11: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: West Coast (cool ) / Wordsearch (cool) Cool Jazz or ‘Cold’, ‘Cool’, ‘Hot’, ‘Warm’ in the title or lyrics.
Thu 11: George Robinson @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £5.42 (inc. bf). Vienna’s Voice charity evening featuring ’15 year old singing sensation the ‘Redcar Crooner’ George Robinson’. Over 35s only.
Thu 11: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. back tapes.
Thu 11: Ransom Van @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 11: Down for the Count Swing Orchestra @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:30pm. £37.70 (inc. bf). ‘Swing into Xmas’.
Fri 12: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 12: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £15.00. ‘Xmas Soiree’.
Fri 12: A Jazzy Xmas @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax, soprano sax); Matthew Forster (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 12: Tony Hadley: Xmas Big Band Tour 2025 @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Fri 12: Alexia Gardner @ The New Ship Inn, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. 8:00pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy, Abbie Finn. CANCELLED!
Fri 12: Jive Aces: Swingin’ Xmas Show @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm.
Sat 13: A Jazzy Xmas @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax, soprano sax); Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums).
Sat 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 13: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 13: Washboard Resonators @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £14.09 (inc. bf).
Sat 13: Salty Dog @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:45pm. Americana, blues, jazz.
Sat 13: A Jazzy Xmas @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax, soprano sax); Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums).
The prime reason for the Norwegian quartet's tour is the launching of their latest CD - Voyage from which most of the music played was drawn. Herskedal has a mellifluous tone on bass trumpet and manages the cumbersome beast that is the tuba without sounding lugubrious. The use of viola makes for an interesting alternative to that of violin. The array of percussion was put to good use - tinkling cymbals, jingling bells and other odd items adorned the traditional kit. Pianist Dale, was perhaps the most exciting member of the band. However, the overall effect leaned towards the soporific and I left before the end in case I embarrassed myself by snoring...
Earlier, local hero Taylor dazzled in his inimitable style. Floating like a butterfly with rippling runs that left few notes untouched albeit with not very many of the chordal passages so beloved of the more traditional jazz pianists. Director of Performance, Tamsin Austin, in her introduction, expressed some doubt as to whether or not Faye MacCalman would be joining Taylor. No reason was given. The reed player did appear towards the end of the set for some input that suited the mood of the evening which could be perhaps best described as "The Night of the Long Notes."
6 comments :
I don’t normally respond to reviews, as music is in the ear of the behearer etc, and especially not on the (normally) authoritative regional phenomenon which is BSH…… However, I feel I must in this instance, as my experience of the Herskedal gig was so much at odds with Lance’s verdict of “soporific”. My verdict is that this was the gig of the (great!) year so far, and is shared with the party of 6 I took along, ranging in age across five decades, and familiarity with jazz from neophyte to aficionado. If Lance had stayed until the end perhaps he would have seen the rest of the audience were wide awake as well, judging by their ovation!
Herskedal’s band were truly outstanding, playing original and groundbreaking music of epic and majestic proportion, which remained accessible, listenable and in many places downright tuneful, drawing seamlessly on classical, folk and jazz (whatever that is ...). Maybe Lance was looking for a giant of the tenor to take the stage and blow us apart, but this had variety, dynamics to spare, and a regularly achieved climactic energy which had the audience bouncing. Herskedal has re-defined the tuba as lead and accompanying instrument, but this virtuousity was borne lightly, with no ego or pretentiousness – all subsumed within a delightful collective humility and humour, framed in his acclaimed, third, through-composed album. The level of musicality and ambition from all four players was remarkable, with heart-rending emotion, along with extraordinary tastefulness, delicacy and interplay. These are leading international musicians, defining their own take on contemporary music, riding a tidal wave of Scandinavian jazz sweeping Europe (if not BSH!).
Herskedal is the latest in the Sage’s Spring jazz season, standing in this year for the Festival. I am finding it a better means of bringing top bands to the North East - frankly we are punching above our weight this year, with international stars like Herskedal, Tigran and Phronesis, with Kamasi Washington to come - I bet he will succeed in keeping Lance awake! In Tigran’s case, I was almost moved to respond to Ann Alex’s also underwhelming review. My take (and that of a contingent of students from Leeds College of Music I facilitated) on that concert was that I felt privileged to attend, in my own back yard or anywhere: as Herbie Hancock says “Now, Tigran, you are my teacher”.
So, in conclusion, I love and appreciate the work Lance and his tireless reviewers carry out on BSH, informing, reporting and supporting the remarkable wealth of jazz throughout the great North East – this is vital work to encourage and facilitate regional artists and audiences. But underwhelming and unrepresentative reviews such as those recently for Herskedal and Tigran do not only the artists a disservice, but also the audiences. Such reviews do nothing to encourage new listeners to try something different to the (rightly) venerated GASbook, or for promoters like the Sage to continue their ambitious and risky policy of bringing major jazz stars here to our little corner of the country.
Anyway, keep up the good work, but please let’s hear some more enthusiastic voices cheering on these new masters!
Chris Kilsby
Thank you Chris for your comment and let me hasten to say that I totally respect your views. It's always difficult trying to weigh up the objective against the subjective. However, any honest reviewer can only record his/her reactions to what they hear. I fully appreciated the musicality of the musicians concerned but, for me, it lacked that vital spark. I realised that I was in the minority and, yes, I would have loved a tenor giant to take to the stage. However, isn't that what music/art is all about - to say what you feel and not what you ought to feel?
Over the years, I have been totally supportive of Sage Gateshead and will continue to do so, although I'm sure they know that I don't just 'follow the party line' they do know that most of the time I do.
Possibly I'm in the wrong job which I obviously was last Saturday. Problem is, finding horses for courses. Jazz and its spinoffs are such a varied field that the 'one man's meat...' adage is ever present.
Unfortunately, at the moment, our review team seems to be somewhat decimated and whilst Russell and I try to cover as much as we can we are always open to new contributors. The recent review by Iain Kitt on the Maja Bugge gig in the Victoria Tunnel was most welcome and if you, yourself, Chris, fancy contributing reviews of future gigs or CDs (which I will happily send to you) then I'd be pleased to welcome you, or any other more enthusiastic voices aboard.
PS: Thank you also for the kind words re BSH.I've now added some terrific photos of the gig from Ken Drew who, incidentally, sides with you.
Having differing opinions is why we have such diversity of music out there - if we all liked the same stuff there would be a much more narrow spectrum of musical styles. For what it's worth I found Paul Taylor to be soporific what with his endless runs up and down the piano with odd bit of delay here and there; whereas Daniel Herskedal’s performance for me was deeply original, pastoral and evocative. I'm glad though that there's something for everyone and that we can have differing emotional responses to the music.
I like the cognitive dissonance between the disingenuous condescension towards the "diversity of music out there" and the gratuitously banal critique of "endless runs up and down the piano". "Soporific"? Keeps me awake, at least.
Apologies Paul, your comment was inadvertently deleted. Now, hopefully, restored. Certainly, when I used the term "Soporific" it wasn't directed at you but at the headline act. I've also discovered the reason for Faye's delayed appearance - the girls a star and a tribute to the motto - The show must go on. Hope everything works out ok for her.
Paul Taylor: Steinway Piano and Virus TI synthesiser.
Live performance at Sage Gateshead, March 23rd 2019.
Part Two.
Recorded and produced by Paul Taylor
https://paulstephentaylor.bandcamp.com/track/oneiric-part-two
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